Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review: stage 2 - England case study

1. Introduction

This report is an interim output of the Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review. It forms part of Stage 2 of the review, which includes four international case studies on Canada, England, Finland, and Ireland. The case studies have been undertaken by country-based experts and compiled by the project research team which is led by researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). Learning from this case study will help to inform the findings and recommendations in the final report which will be published in early 2026.

The author of this case study is Professor Mark Shucksmith. Mark is Emeritus Professor of Planning, Newcastle University. His main areas of research include social exclusion in rural areas, rural housing, rural development, wellbeing and rural policy. Mark chaired the Scottish Government’s Committee of Inquiry into Crofting (2007-08), served on the Commission for Rural Communities/Countryside Agency (2005-13), and the Affordable Rural Housing Commission (2005-06), and as a Trustee of ACRE (2014-22). He was awarded the honour of OBE in 2009 for services to rural development and to crofting. Further information about Mark’s research can be found here: Staff Profile | School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape | Newcastle University

Further information about the review can be found on the project webpage: Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review.