Recent developments in the agricultural industry in Europe have, more than ever, focused attention on the impacts of government policies on the social fabric of rural settlements. This has taken place at a time of major debates regarding the future of the Common Agricultural Policy and widespread discussion of policies proposed in Rural White Papers in the United Kingdom. At the same time, pressures and changes taking place within service sector organisations have led to concerns about the ability of organisations to maintain basic levels of services in some rural communities. Contributions to this volume describe up-to-date findings from a number of geographic perspectives on the impacts, and policy responses, of changes in different service sectors. Introductory chapters highlighting the policy significance of such research efforts are followed by case studies that focus on the pressures on service providers in areas such as health, education, and crime prevention. Together these highlight the importance of services in ensuring the viability of rural communities and tackling social exclusion of vulnerable groups in rural areas.

Contents

Introduction
G Higgs

Part 1: Policy Approaches
Evaluating the Changing Context of Rural Service Provision in England
G M Robinson

Joined Up, Stretched Out? Observations on (Joint) Rural Services Provision in England
G Parker

The Role of Migration in the Decline of Services in Rural England
D Houston

Social Entrepreneurship and Social Services Provision in Gaeltacht Regions in Ireland
E O'Shea, M J Keane

Part 2: Rural Transport and Accessibility
Statistical Indicators of Rural Disadvantage: A Comparison Between the Index of Multiple Deprivation and the 'Bundles' Approach
S Monk, I Hodge, J Midgley

Accessibility to Facilities Versus Daily Mobility of Rural Dwellers: The Case of Poland
Z Taylor

Tackling Rural Transport Problems: A Third Sector Approach
C Williams, R White

Public Transport and Accessibility to Services in Two Districts of East Anglia
A Lovett, G Sünnenberg, T Dockerty, A Bone, R Haynes

Part 3: Forces Impacting on Rural Services
Access to Financial Services: Moving Beyond the Spatial Perspective
J Midgley

A (Rural) Policeman's Lot is not a Happy One: Issues and Efforts to Police Rural Space in the United Kingdom
R Yarwood

From Housing Estates to Communities: The Difficulties in Promoting Mixed-use Development in Gloucestershire
J Williams

Delivering Health Care Services Across the Rural - Urban Boundary: A Case Study from North Tyneside and Northumberland
R MacFarlane, K Turner, B J Chandler, C S Chandler

The Role of Territorial Factors in the Creation of Service Enterprises: An Illustration Based on Two Predominantly Rural Zones in the South of France
N Bertrand, D Vollet

Index