Rural needs
Northern Ireland has a large rural population; around 730,000 people live in a rural area representing approximately 37% of the population (2021 census). Northern Ireland has legislation in place, the Rural Needs Act 2016, that ensures the social and economic needs of people in rural areas are taken into account when developing, adopting, implementing or revising its policies, strategies and plans and when services are being designed and delivered.
The Northern Trust is the largest geographical trust in Northern Ireland, with an area spanning 1,733 square miles. 42.4% of Northern Trust residents living rurally in settlements of under 5,000 people, including open countryside (2021 census).
Rural needs annual monitoring reports
The Trust is committed to its reporting and monitoring obligations in accordance with the Rural Needs Act. The Trust reports annually on how we comply with the duty to consider the social and economic needs of people who live rurally in our annual monitoring report to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), which oversees the operation of the Act.
Annual Monitoring reports from all applicable public authorities are compiled into an overall monitoring report and published on the DAERA website.
