Report index

Access to Rural Services in the South East was produced to support the Rural Access to Service Project (RASP) in which the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) and its partners are developing projects focussing on rural service needs and how access to these can be improved.  The report draws on information from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) and accessibility indicators developed by the Department for Transport (DfT), and includes background data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Almost three-quarters of a million households reside within rural communities in the South East and account for 22% of the total 3.37 million households within the region.  Improving the quality of life for all people living in the South East is of key importance, together with fostering sustainable economic development throughout the region. A major element is provision of quality jobs and services and the ability of residents to access these.  In more rural areas, access to services can pose additional barriers for residents to overcome.

Gross value added (GVA) is one of the key indicators of economic activity which can be used to compare regions and sub-regions of the United Kingdom with each other and also with other areas within the European Union. This briefing note refers to the December 2009 GVA release and covers all 3 NUTS levels and provides analysis by industry. Previous years briefings can be found in the report archive.

New estimates for Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) were published on 31 March 2010 which provide a useful guide to the wealth of an area.  Sub-regionally, these data are considered to be a better indicator of prosperity of an area than GVA. National Statistical Bulletin can be accessed from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website. Previous years briefings can be found in the report archive. 

Female entrepreneurs and their contribution to the regional economy have become increasingly important in the South East. As part of the Regional Economic Strategy for the South East a target was specified to increase the number of new businesses run by women by 10,000 by 2010. Analysis has been carried out to explore the data available to monitor this type of activity and to gain a better understanding of the drivers. The report Female owned businesses in the South East highlights some of the analysis undertaken.

Updated information on this topic can be found in an article Women in Business, published in Regional Trends No. 41 in June 2009 which focusses on cross-regional comparison.