Lib Dems announce Countryside Charter

Plans set out today by Tim Farron for a 'Countryside Charter' would create more than 300,000 new jobs and ensure people living in rural areas have access to the facilities they need to prosper.

The Liberal Democrats are proposing to give local authorities the power to double council tax on second homes in a bid to stop houses becoming too expensive for local people.

The Countryside Charter commits the Lib Dems to extending the 5p per litre discount on fuel to more remote areas, building on the work cutting fuel bills in Kirkby and Hawes.

Also included in the Lib Dems' countryside charter commit to rolling out high-speed broadband to 99.9% of households across the UK, closing the availability gap between rural and urban areas in high-speed broadband and plans to increase the powers of the groceries code adjudicator so that all farmers, especially in the dairy industry, are paid fairly.

The party want to introduce a rural bus protection fund to maintain transport services that are not necessarily profitable, but are relied upon by those living in remote areas. It also plans to introduce retained police officers, who are fully-trained police officers on call and able to respond quickly where needed.

Tim said: "This charter was created by the experiences of people in our area - our challenges with transport, housing, rural policing and the cost of fuel. This charter offers real solutions to deal with them. This is a charter that will boost growth and help create jobs, investment and more sustainable rural communities."