SPARSE, the coalition of more than 50 of England's most rural local authorities, has published its new Rural Manifesto.

Among its recommendations is a call on Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to correct the injustice in the council tax system which causes country dwellers to pay higher taxes for fewer services.

The Rural Manifesto sets out the cross-party lobby group's position on a range of key issues confronting rural communities - but puts council tax and public services top of that list.

SPARSE Chief Officer Graham Biggs said: "Together, our members serve over 5.5 million people in rural England. As such, we appreciate the special pressures that are faced by our most far-flung communities.

"As things stand, the way Government grant handed out to councils fails to reflect the obvious extra cost of providing services to rural communities.

"Worse, it is evident that research in this area continues to be ignored. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was briefed last month on fresh evidence that the unit cost of providing public services in the countryside is double that in urban areas."

The manifesto also includes:

l Call for more affordable housing to be provided and an end to the right to buy in areas where there is pressure on social housing.

l Call for an end to the raw deal that country councils get on grant distribution.

l Plea for the particular needs of public service workers in rural areas to be addressed.

l Call for meaningful measures on the social and economical impact of these most serious issues which reflect the needs of the country communities

l A special review of particular costs and issues associated with waste management in the countryside as part of the next spending review.

l Call for cash relief for vehicles specifically adapted to delivery of mobile rural services.

l Appropriate solutions needed for neglected rural healthcare.

l Call for the inclusion of council services in the standard which government says people should expect in public services in country areas

l Plea for safeguards to be put in place to ensure regional and unitary authorities are not urban-biased and excessively remote from rural communities.