Devon Cabinet to consider mounting pressures on rural and coastal communities

Devon County Council’s Cabinet will next week consider a motion highlighting the growing pressures facing people living in rural and coastal communities across the county.
The discussion follows a Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Stuart Rogers, who has raised concerns about the impact of rising living costs and the decline of local services in rural areas.
Councillor Rogers argues that residents are increasingly travelling further to access basic services, paying more for transport and heating, and dealing with limited public transport and unreliable digital connectivity. He says that once essential services such as banks, shops or healthcare facilities close in rural areas, they rarely return.
He also points to the higher costs faced by households reliant on oil, LPG or solid fuel for heating, as well as the financial burden of car dependency in areas with few public transport options, particularly at a time of rising fuel and insurance costs.
The issue was first raised at Full Council in December and will now be formally debated by Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 17 February at County Hall in Exeter.
Councillor Stuart Rogers said:
“Rural Devon is under pressure like never before.
“Our communities are being hit from all sides, losing services, paying more for travel, and facing higher heating and living costs.
“These are not abstract problems; they shape people’s daily lives and it’s essential that Members confront this head on.
“My Notice of Motion calls for honest acknowledgement, real data, stronger lobbying and practical local action so that rural residents are not left behind or forgotten.”
If agreed, Cabinet would formally acknowledge that the cost of living crisis and reductions in key services disproportionately affect Devon’s rural communities. Members are also being asked to support the publication of detailed data on the measurable impacts of the crisis in rural areas, including fuel poverty, transport costs and access to essential services.
The motion further calls on the council to lobby Government and business groups for targeted funding to support rural households with energy and transport costs.
In addition, Cabinet is being asked to back the creation of a series of rural pilot areas. These would bring together local councillors, officers, partner organisations and the private sector to explore innovative local solutions. Potential initiatives include community-run transport schemes, rural service outreach, the development of rural hubs using existing buildings, closer collaboration with other local authorities, devolved service delivery and shared outreach with partners.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, said:
“I look forward to our Cabinet discussion about this next week and thank Councillor Rogers for bringing this matter forward.
“It’s true that rural communities face challenges that urban areas simply don’t.
“Delivering services in a county like Devon costs more. Distances are greater. Transport is harder. Digital connections are patchy. Yet none of this is reflected in the funding we receive from Government. It isn’t fair, and it leaves our rural residents at a disadvantage before they even start.
“A great deal of excellent work is already being done by Devon County Council’s officers, and for the first time ever, the council has specifically designated a cabinet member role with responsibility for Rural Affairs.
“I am constantly lobbying central government on this issue and am also part of Devon’s Rural Nested Deprivation Group, which was established in June last year.
“We know that deprivation in rural areas is often hidden, and we know that Government data which relies heavily on averages, can mask the true picture of rural poverty and exclusion.
“We are committed to developing a fuller, place based understanding of rurality in Devon.
“That means working collaboratively with partner organisations and communities to develop an action plan with the same aim and passion, to improve living standards and access to services for people across this large, predominantly rural county.
“We must constantly look through a rural lens. And in every decision that we make, we must ask the question: ‘What does this mean for our deprived rural areas?’”
The outcome of the debate could shape how the council approaches funding, service delivery and partnership working in rural Devon in the years ahead.