Access to quality public infrastructure and skilled labour are among the factors entrenching the rural-urban divide among SMEs, new data has found. According to a new survey conducted by the British Chambers of Commerce, more than half (58%) of SMEs in rural areas said they do not have reliable and well-connected trains, compared to 39% of those in urban areas.
Poor rail networks have the biggest impact on SMEs in business, retail and industrial parks, with 51% saying they were not satisfied with current provisions. While 79% of firms in the countryside said they did not have access to reliable buses or trams, compared to 42% in towns, villages and high streets.
A lack of access to skilled labour is also impacting small and medium-sized firms. Almost two in three of SMEs did not believe their local areas had availability of appropriately skilled labour. In Wales, 61% of businesses have experienced difficulties in recruiting skilled employees.
