The Government has recently published its 2025 update on rural proofing, its latest attempt to ensure national policy works for the whole of England, not just its cities and towns. For those of us who live and work in rural areas, this commitment is welcome. But we know the real measure of success is whether these principles are embedded in day-to-day policymaking.

At Cambridgeshire ACRE, we believe rural communities deserve policies that reflect their realities. That means recognising what makes rural life distinctive: its strengths, as well as the barriers people face. Whether it’s reaching healthcare services, securing affordable housing, or simply finding a bus that turns up, the rural experience often differs sharply from urban norms. That’s why rural proofing matters and why we’re paying close attention to what this new strategy could mean for the people and places we serve.

A step forward, but more to do

The 2025 update sets out a clearer, more structured approach to rural proofing across government departments. It includes case studies on housing, digital access, transport and the environment, areas where rural challenges are well known. Encouragingly, it also acknowledges the importance of improving data collection, especially when it comes to identifying hidden pockets of rural deprivation that can otherwise be overlooked by national statistics.

But as helpful as these examples are, they remain the exception, not the norm. Too often, rural considerations are added late in the policy process or not at all. For example, a one-size-fits-all policy on digital infrastructure might overlook the reality that parts of Fenland still struggle to get stable mobile coverage, let alone fibre broadband. Or a transport strategy could assume regular bus routes where none exist, such as in many parts of South Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire ACRE’s own community research, alongside insights from our Village Agents and housing needs surveys, continues to show that rural realities must be part of the conversation from the outset, not just included as an afterthought.

The role of the new Rural Taskforce

One of the most promising developments in the 2025 strategy is the creation of a cross-departmental Rural Taskforce, led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to ensure rural proofing is more than just a tick-box exercise. The Taskforce is tasked with embedding rural thinking across all government missions, whether it’s the levelling-up agenda, health disparities or net zero.

Cambridgeshire ACRE is particularly encouraged by this shift. We know from our work with parish councils, community groups and local authorities that meaningful change happens when rural needs are heard early, clearly and consistently. The Taskforce offers a potential route to make that standard practice.

Importantly, ACRE, our national network body representing 38 county-based rural community councils including Cambridgeshire ACRE, has a seat at that table. ACRE’s involvement ensures that lived experience from local communities across the country informs national decisions. We’ll be supporting their input by sharing evidence and stories from Cambridgeshire, making sure our region’s voice is well represented.

Making rural proofing work: what it means for Cambridgeshire

In Cambridgeshire, the stakes are high. Rural issues here are complex and varied. In the north of the county, isolation is a daily reality for many older residents. In the west, pressure on affordable housing continues to grow. Across the fens, transport gaps limit access to training and work. These aren’t abstract problems. They affect real lives every day.
That’s why we want to see rural proofing applied early and meaningfully. Good rural proofing helps policymakers see when a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work and encourages solutions that do. For instance:

• Affordable housing: Our rural housing team works closely with parish councils to identify where local people are being priced out of their home villages. Without rural-specific funding streams and planning support, these schemes simply wouldn’t happen.
• Digital exclusion: Through initiatives like our digital inclusion workshops and Carers Connect project, we see first-hand how poor connectivity isolates people further. National policy must factor in the cost and time it takes to deliver digital infrastructure to the last mile.
• Transport: Feedback from our Village Agents shows that isolation due to a lack of public transport remain a persistent challenge. Smarter rural transport policy would address not only funding, but the scheduling and flexibility needed for low-density areas.

By capturing and sharing this kind of insight, Cambridgeshire ACRE plays a vital role in ensuring that policies reflect what rural life is really like.

What happens next?

The publication of the 2025 strategy is an opportunity to take stock, but it must also be a catalyst for change. We want to see:

• Stronger accountability: Departments should be clear not just that they’ve considered rural issues, but how they’ve done so and with what result.
• Better data: More granular data collection that picks up rural disadvantage, rather than masking it within county-level averages.
• Earlier engagement: Policies that involve rural communities at the start of the design process, not once the decisions have already been made.

Cambridgeshire ACRE will continue to advocate for all three. We’ll do so by working collaboratively with ACRE, contributing evidence and insights, and keeping rural Cambridgeshire on the policy map.

Final thoughts

Rural proofing isn’t about asking for special treatment. It’s about fairness. It’s about recognising that where you live should not determine your access to opportunity, services or connection. And it’s about designing better policy, not just for rural communities, but for the country as a whole.

We welcome this update. But we also know from experience that principles alone won’t deliver change. What matters is what happens next.

We’ll be watching closely and more importantly, continuing to speak up for Cambridgeshire’s rural communities every step of the way.

Read the Government’s strategy in full: The Government’s Approach to Rural Proofing 2025