Metro Mayor David Skaith has formally unveiled a sweeping new ten-year strategy, the Rural Action Plan (2026–2035), live from the Great Yorkshire Showground. The ambitious plan aims to tackle decades of under-investment in countryside communities, where families face older, colder housing, severe fuel poverty, and persistent digital blackspots. The headline target is the delivery of at least 5,000 new rural homes by 2035, prioritising affordable, community-led developments. Furthermore, the plan aims to grow the rural economy by twenty percent through high-skilled jobs in clean energy and food innovation, while committing to link at least half of the region's farms directly to public sector supply chains—such as schools and hospitals—to guarantee long-term financial viability.
Dales Radio's Mike Long and Lisa C are at the show all this week, bringing you interviews on-air throughout Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.