The Village Facilities and Rural Transport Survey has been used in the past to provide evidence to indicate  the comparative sustainability of rural settlements across Malvern Hills and Wychavon Districts, to inform the application of development plan policies, most recently the South Worcestershire Development Plan 2016 (SWDP).

The South Worcestershire Councils were inviting comments on the methodology used to gather and analyse information on facilities and services in rural settlements in south Worcestershire, as part of the update to the Village Facilities and Rural Transport Survey (VFRTS).