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Marketing local produce, helping communities with training and skills and developing walking and cycling networks are among the ideas being explored in the North York Moors, coast and hills – including East Cleveland - as part of the new Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
The potential projects have been outlined as it was confirmed the area will use a special approach to allocate a significant amount of rural investment from the European Union and Defra.
LEADER is a community-led, ‘bottom up’ approach to rural development which helps areas invest to boost their economic performance. It will enable community partnerships to shape for themselves how at least 5% of the new RDPE fund is used.
These broad-based partnerships - known as Local Action Groups and made up of local businesses, land managers, local voluntary groups, local residents and local representatives from the public sector – develop a regeneration strategy for their area, called a Local Development Strategy.
The partnerships then decide on investment priorities for their areas and manage the projects they want to carry out.
One North East has already agreed the strategies put forward by partnerships for the North Pennine Dales, East Durham, Northumberland uplands, and Northumberland coast and lowlands, and has worked closely with Yorkshire Forward to support the North York Moors, Coast and Hills partnership in developing theirs.
One North East’s rural board member, Ian Brown, said: “We’re delighted that the North York Moors, Coast and Hills LEADER group has developed such a strong and exciting strategy.
“While LEADER still focuses on RDPE’s core themes, it’s about the ideas and solutions of communities themselves. So whether that’s helping businesses, social enterprises or conservation projects, they can be really innovative in how they use this funding and tailor it to the needs of their area.”
Peter Barfoot, Director of Conservation at the North York Moors National Park Authority - lead partner for the North York Moors, Coast and Hills LEADER group, said: “This funding is excellent news for our area, especially as it puts local people in charge of how it will be spent.
“We spoke with a wide range of community groups and individuals to pull together the funding bid which generated some really positive ideas such as improving routes for walking, cycling and public transport, providing training for young people in vital rural skills and ideas around making villages carbon neutral.
“Early next year, we should be in a position to start helping some of these ideas turn into actual projects.”
Andy Tordoff, Assistant Director of Environment at Yorkshire Forward said: “LEADER reinforces the value of partnership working by bringing into one forum all those who have an interest in encouraging and supporting local economic development.
“I am confident that all the LEADER partnerships will support and develop a range of projects which will help to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity of local communities.”
The Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013 is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union, with the aim of delivering targeted support to rural businesses and communities. It is managed by One North East (in North East England) and Yorkshire Forward (in Yorkshire and the Humber), together with Natural England and the Forestry Commission.
The RDPE investment being managed by One North East combines larger projects to help many businesses in different sectors of the rural economy - including bioenergy and land-based skills, and projects adding value to agricultural and forestry products - with smaller investments to help individual businesses to start-up, grow or diversify, and support to develop more sustainable rural communities.
For more information on the North York Moors, Coast and Hills Leader group visit http://www.visitnorthyorkshiremoors.co.uk/content.php?nID=698
For more information on RDPE in North East England, visit: www.rdpenortheast.co.uk
For more information on RDPE, visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm
http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/index.htm
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For more information, contact Claire Mason (press office) on 0191 229 6429 / 07765220755 or email Claire.mason@onenortheast.co.uk
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