OpenFields

Growth in the economic activity and trade of land-based industries, agriculture and other rural businesses has impact at both regional and local levels. The viability and sustainability of rural communities (market towns and villages) is enhanced by the activities of mainly small and medium sized enterprises (SME's), creating jobs in primary production and secondary and tertiary services.

Strategic economic growth and regeneration programmes in UK regions and sub-regions are typically supported with funding from the European Community and are typically focused on increasing levels of employment and improving infrastructure such as transport and internet access.

Ensuring that government domestic policies take account of rural circumstances and needs is often termed 'rural proofing'.

Such rural domestic policies currently focus on developmental and regeneration priorities, such as economic and social regeneration, rural social exclusion and injustice, (i.e. fairness of access to services for all rural people), and protection of the natural rural environment.

Rural proofing encourages the needs of rural areas to be addressed in regional rural strategies, (such as Regional Spatial Strategies and Regional Economic Strategies), shapesthe delivery of rural development programmes, ensures that the voice of rural stakeholders within their region is heard, and encourages connections to be made between the work and interests of regional partners for the benefit of rural areas.

The Openfields library holds materials concerned with the rural economy, business creation and infrastructure development.