Supporting Hampshire's Rural Communities

About 75% of Hampshire is classified as rural. These areas are home to 300,000 people, 21.8% of the county's total population.

Hampshire County Council provides services which make a difference to residents' lives on a daily basis. Alongside the County Council's strategic plan for 2025 to 2028, we also have a set of priorities to ensure the needs of our rural communities and businesses are met now and in the future.

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Community resilience

We want to help communities address and resolve local challenges themselves, such as supporting older and vulnerable people, or responding to extreme weather events.

Rural transport

We want to support rural communities to tailor existing transport options (e.g. bus, minibus, volunteer drivers etc.) to better meet the needs of residents without cars.

Self-help

We want to support volunteering and community-led initiatives in rural communities.

Communications

We want to support the provision of broadband and mobile communications in rural areas.

Economic development

We want to support rural enterprises and forge strong links with Local Enterprise Partnerships and LEADER groups.