This week, Rural England CIC published its State of Rural Services 2025 report, painting a sobering picture of life in rural communities across England. Drawing on the latest national datasets, the report highlights widening gaps between rural and urban areas in health, transport, digital connectivity, childcare and other vital services.

At Cambridgeshire ACRE, the timing could not be more significant. As we put the final touches to our new three year strategy, due to launch this October, the findings underline why the voice of rural Cambridgeshire must be heard loud and clear in policy and service planning.

Healthcare pressures close to home

The report finds that across England, 35% of rural hospitals have closed in the last 15 years and rural residents are three times more likely than urban ones to struggle with hospital access. In Cambridgeshire, the picture is acute. Fenland has the lowest density of GPs per 100,000 population in the county, and residents there report some of the longest average travel times to reach healthcare. For older residents without a car, getting to a hospital in Cambridge, Peterborough or Huntingdon is not just inconvenient, it can be impossible.

Transport decline and isolation

The national report confirms what many of us already know: buses are at a historic low. In Cambridgeshire, between 2010 and 2023, there was a 47% reduction in supported bus mileage. This is not just an inconvenience, it cuts people off from jobs, health services and social contact. In villages like Wimblington and Sutton, residents describe bus services as “patchy at best, non-existent at worst.” Community transport schemes try to plug the gap, but demand is rising faster than capacity.

Digital gaps in a digital-first world

Nationally, 22% of isolated rural dwellings cannot access even a 10 Mbps connection. In Cambridgeshire, while most market towns now enjoy gigabit broadband, there remain blackspots in East Cambridgeshire and Fenland, where residents still struggle to stream lessons, access healthcare online or work from home. This leaves rural communities doubly disadvantaged in an increasingly digital-first society.

Local services – lifelines at risk

The report highlights that almost half of rural convenience stores are the only shop in their community. In Cambridgeshire, parish feedback gathered by Cambridgeshire ACRE shows the same: from Manea to Burwell, the village shop is not just where you buy milk, it is where you meet neighbours, hear local news and keep connected. Yet these businesses face rising costs and fragile margins.

Childcare, youth and employment

Across England, rural families face fewer childcare places and longer journeys. In Cambridgeshire, childcare deserts are particularly evident in Fenland, where parents report waiting lists of six months or more. Meanwhile, with only a handful of Jobcentres located in rural towns like March and Wisbech, residents without transport face real barriers to accessing employment support.

Why this matters now

The report concludes that rural communities are resilient, but resilience should not mean acceptance of disadvantage. For Cambridgeshire, these findings reinforce what many parish councils, volunteers and residents tell us daily: services are stretched, access is unequal, and without investment, the gap between rural and urban will continue to grow.

 

As we prepare to launch our new strategy this October, Cambridgeshire ACRE is determined to ensure that the lived experience of our rural communities shapes local and national priorities. We will continue to champion investment in rural health access, reliable transport, fair digital connectivity, sustainable local services and support for families.

Rural Cambridgeshire deserves nothing less than parity of opportunity with its urban neighbours. This report is a timely reminder of why our work matters and why the coming years will be crucial.