Prince calls for rural investment

Prince Charles: 'Make the pub the hub'

Once again, Prince Charles has cast himself in the role of defender of the countryside.

He threw down the gauntlet to Britain's business leaders to turn their attentions away from urban renewal and focus instead on the plight of countryside communities.

In a speech to the organisation Business in the Community at Saint James's Palace, the Prince urged business leaders to help revitalise rural services - or else face the dire consequence of failure.

The prince has identified three core areas for rural action:

• Identifying rural enterprise and giving support to entrepreneurs in the countryside,
• regenerating market towns, and
• buying local produce whenever possible.

To this end, Prince Charles championed the potential of the humble village pub

"Why not make the pub the hub," he said.

"Put into the pub the Post Office and the store, and increase the income so giving the pub itself a more secure future."