Rural Affairs Sub-Committee

The Rural Affairs Sub-Committee is Chaired by Councillor Patrick Withers.

The Council’s Rural Affairs Sub-Committee will provide a forum to consider matters outside of the scope of the Council’s existing statutory Committees, which have a particular impact on rural parts of the District.  The Sub-Committee will seek to ensure that proper consideration is given to the particular challenges facing rural communities and that these needs are fully assessed in the context of the Council policies and decision making.  The Sub-Committee will have both an internal and external focus in informing Council of issues which affect the daily lives of our rural population.

The Sub-Committee will not have decision making authority but formal reports will be taken through the Policy and Resources Committee, providing recommendations for consideration and approval.

Key Objectives

The Sub-Committee’s work will be ‘data led’, based on research, and will not duplicate work which is undertaken in other Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Groups.

The key objectives of the Sub-Committee will be to consider and inform decision making in relation to:

• How rural inequalities can be properly assessed, reported and mitigated
• The impacts of rurality on the citizens of our district and the particular challenges this can present
• The consideration of rurality in the provision of Council services
• The consideration of rurality, including funding models / resource allocation and assess to services, provided by central Government and Arms Length Bodies.