http://www.nwda.co.uk/pdf/RuralRenaissanceApr02 by Northwest Regional Development Agency

April 2002

rural

renaissance The Regional Rural Recovery Plan

Contents Page 1

CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD

PROMOTING RURAL RECOVERY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP 2

INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAN OVERVIEW OBJECTIVES APPROACH DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN

THE STRUCTURE, COMPETITIVENESS AND CHANGING NATURE OF THE RURAL ECONOMY THE NATURE OF RURAL ECONOMIES RURAL COMPETITIVENESS Rural Business Competitiveness Barriers Rural ‘Place’ Competitiveness Barriers THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE RURAL ECONOMY CONCLUSION

STATUS AND DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR THE RURAL ECONOMY OF THE NORTH WEST INTRODUCTION REGIONAL CONTEXT Demographics GDP Labour Market Activity Employment Unemployment Earnings Education, Qualifications and Skills Land Use and Quality Land Designation FMD IMPACT FMD POLICY RESPONSE PRIMARY RURAL ECONOMY ACTIVITY: AGRICULTURE Status Economic Profile Risk Assessment Options PRIMARY RURAL ECONOMY ACTIVITY: FORESTRY Status Economic Profile Risk Assessment Options PRIMARY RURAL ECONOMY ACTIVITY: RECREATION AND TOURISM Status Economic Profile Risk Assessment Options RURAL STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Page 6

10 10 11 11 11 13 14 7 16 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 19 19

23 23 24 24 24 25

INTRODUCTION 26 THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY (CAP) 26 NATIONAL POLICY INITIATIVES 26 UK Rural Policy Objectives 26 Our Countryside: The Rural White Paper (RWP) 27 The England Rural Development Plan (ERDP) 27 Other Policy Initiatives 30 Policy Commission on Farming and Food 30 RDA Rural Development Research and Priorities 30 RECENT REGIONAL INITIATIVES 32 The North West Regional Economic Strategy and Rural Action Plan 32 The North West Food Strategy (RFS) 32 Action for Sustainability 32 Renewable Energy 34 Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) 34 NWDA and Rural Regeneration in the North West 34

6 6 6 7 7 8

19 19 20 20 20 22 22 23 23 23

THE POLICY CONTEXT

THE RECOVERY STRATEGY & ACTION PLAN INTRODUCTION VISION STRATEGIC AIMS STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND POLICY ACTIONS SO1: Broadening the Economic Base of Rural Areas SO2: Renew & Strengthen Sustainable Recreation and Tourism SO3: Assisting the Restructuring of Agriculture SO4: Enhancing the Competitiveness and Capability of Primary Agriculture SO5: Rural Skills Development SO6: Development and Promotion of Countryside Products SO7: Sustaining the Environmental Inheritance SO8: Delivering Social and community Regeneration SO9: Strategic Actions RURAL RENAISSANCE ACTIONS AND RES THEMES

COSTS, FUNDING AND IMPACT INTRODUCTION COST AND FUNDING GAP

DELIVERY AND IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS INTRODUCTION ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS The Strategy Body County Bodies County Delivery Vehicles NWDA Role MONITORING AND EVALUATION The M&E Framework Implementing the M&E Framework Indicator Contribution Profiles Baseline/Monitoring Indicators Indicator Roles

36 36 36 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 40 40 41 41 42 42 48 48 48 58 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 62 62 63 71

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1. Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foreword The rural areas of the Northwest have been experiencing severe structural changes for some time. The outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease last year had a particularly devastating impact on the region and brought to a head rather sooner than we first thought, the need for change in the countryside. Thankfully, we are now over the immediate problems that the disease caused. However, the long-term implications still need to be addressed. Agriculture and tourism, the mainstays of our rural areas have been badly hit by the loss of farm income and of visitor income. These sectors will need considerable help over the coming years to overcome the impacts and to reposition the sectors for the future. It is clear that we need to plan for the future. Rural economies need to be rebuilt in a new way, returning to the status quo is not an option. Broadening the base of the rural economy is critical to a prosperous future.

The Northwest Development Agency, working with regional partners, took the initiative to produce a draft recovery plan in October 2001. Following consultation, the draft has now been reworked and sets out a clear vision for the recovery of rural areas and the detailed costed actions required to achieve that vision. Within this context, Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire are drawing up proposals for rural recovery at the county level and this plan should therefore be read in conjunction with those three documents.

We have decided to call the plan Rural Renaissance. The title sums up what is now required for our rural communities. This plan was produced only after a great deal of consultation throughout the region. We now look forward to working together to deliver the renaissance of the rural economy of the Northwest.

Bryan Gray Chairman

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2. Promoting Rural Recovery through Partnership Cheshire Cheshire County Council and its partner organisations that form the Cheshire Rural Recovery Task Force have contributed to the Regional Rural Recovery Action Plan. The Task Force has signed up to many of the short, medium and long term actions that are proposed by the Action Plan, with the understanding that because of the enormity of the task ahead no one organisation has the ability to deliver on its own. The hope is that the partnership will continue into the future to assist the medium to long term recovery.

For Cheshire, addressing the key issues arising from rural recovery depends much on the support that can be provided through national and regional agencies and through partnership arrangements. To that end Cheshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Rural Recovery Action Plan will identify actions that can be implemented through the strength of local commitment and the support of the Regional Rural Recovery Action Plan. The County is confident that the range of regionally branded initiatives will be translated into actions that will help the County to address specific need and to provide aid to assist recovery within Cheshire.

[]

David Rowlands Deputy Leader, Cheshire County Council Chair of Cheshire Rural Recovery Task Force

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Cumbria The Cumbria Foot and Mouth Task Force and its Regeneration Sub Group keenly support the approach taken by the Regional Rural Recovery Action Plan. The Task Force recognises the importance of a strong regional recovery plan to address the difficulties faced by rural economies in the North West Region. Because of the enormity of the task of enabling the region’s rural economies to recover and renew, no single organisation will be able to delivery recovery and renewal on its own.

Cumbria is by far the worst affected county in this current outbreak of Foot and Mouth, with 44% of the cases, and its economy is facing a drop in GDP of £270m as a direct result of the crisis, with 12,300 jobs at risk. As a result, the Task Force has developed proposals for Cumbria to become a ‘Rural Action Zone’, and are continuing to work closely with NWDA to ensure that proposals for recovery at both the regional and the sub regional level are complementary and mutually reinforcing.

Cumbria recognises that to address the key rural recovery issues support will be required from regional and national agencies, and delivered through partnership arrangements. Cumbria is now developing the next steps of its Rural Action Zone proposals to deliver the objectives of Rural Renaissance in Cumbria.

Rex Toft Leader, Cumbria County Council Chair of Cumbria Foot and Mouth Task Force

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Lancashire Over recent months the North West Development Agency (NWDA) has facilitated an extensive consultation process with regional partners to devise a Regional Rural Recovery Plan. The Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan forms part of the Regional Plan and is designed to show how the priorities for rural recovery will be managed and delivered in Lancashire. The production of the Action Plan coincides with the creation of the Lancashire Rural Partnership. The Lancashire Rural Partnership is a concerted attempt to bring a much greater level of coherence and coordination to the ways in which support for communities and business in rural areas across Lancashire is planned, managed and delivered. It is important that any resources available are used with maximum effectiveness and by involving and working with agencies and other bodies operating in the rural community, it seeks to promote a living and working countryside for the benefit of all. This is a real partnership between the public, private and voluntary sectors. Over 80% of Lancashire is rural providing home for more than a third of the population. In the County there must be no urban/rural divide. Each requires and depends upon the other. Through the development of the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan the Partnership will be working to make sure our rural businesses and communities get the best help available and that funding is used in the best way possible.

Tim Ormrod Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Rural Affairs Chair of Lancashire Foot and Mouth Task Force

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3. Introduction to the Plan Overview

• Outlining a model for rural recovery highlighting

This document updates the North West Rural

specific actions required for implementation and

Recovery Plan (RRRP) that was launched in the

timescales; and

autumn of 2001. The update extends the content of

• Providing a framework for:

that document to reflect considerations about delivery,

• NWDA and partner priorities,

implementation and monitoring and evaluation. It also

• an integrated approach to public and private

modifies funding elements and actions points in the

sector investment; and

light of further discussions with partners and funding

• securing UK and EU resources.

agencies. The emphasis of the Plan, and associated actions, is The Rural Renaissance Plan is to operate over a five

in recovery beyond the restoration of the status quo

year time horizon, has been constructed through an

prior to the onset of FMD. The North West rural

extensive consultation process and is designed to link

economy has experienced substantial stress over the

to the emerging proposals from the County Task

course of the recent years. In addition to longer-term

Forces in the three areas that were primarily affected

decline in the agricultural sector, the impact of BSE

by the FMD epidemic1. Namely: Cheshire, Cumbria

and associated downward pressures on farming

and Lancashire.

incomes had already combined to weaken the economic foundations of rural areas before the

Objectives

emergence of FMD in the early part of 200.

The primary objective of the Plan is that it acts as a platform from which regional partners can help deliver

The movement away from agricultural support

the sustainable development of the rural economy

structures due to trade liberalisation and EU

within the region. Other objectives include:

enlargement means that seeking a return to the

• Identifying current barriers and restraints to the

position prior to the recent epidemic would represent a

recovery of rural areas;

missed opportunity for both NWDA and partners to

• Identifying the key issues and drivers of change

adopt an integrated and coordinated response to the

and assessing their impact on major rural sectors

structural trends that are likely to continue to impact on

including agriculture, tourism, other rural

the economic vibrancy of rural communities.

businesses and rural services; • Identifying the key challenges in driving forward the rural economy, building on existing strengths and alleviating weaknesses; • Identifying priority actions for the RDA to address regionally, nationally and in Europe; 1

Rural areas in the larger regional conurbations – Greater Manchester and Merseyside – are also to be supported through the plan but were not significantly affected by the FMD epidemic and are not consequently preparing recovery plans.

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Figure 1: The Recovery Plan Process

Approach

Oral Evidence

Written Evidence

NWDA

Like the Regional Strategy, the Rural Renaissance is

Contextual Analysis

the outcome of a detailed consultation process during which open panel meetings were held at five locations

Task Forces

around the region to hear submissions from invited

Impact Study

Contextual Analysis

speakers and interested parties . A range of written 2

Partners Rural White Paper

submissions were also received as part of the

UK/EU Programmes

consultation exercise. Both forms of presentation have played a significant role in determining the shape

securing actions that contribute to economic, social

of the plan and partners have contributed further

and environmental sustainability. The Plan has been

through commentary on draft versions of this

subjected to an independent sustainability audit and

document.

the resulting findings have helped to strengthen the sustainability basis of proposals.

In this way, NWDA has acted as a facilitator for regional bodies and organisations. Rural Renaissance

Development Context

is not the plan of the NWDA, it is a plan organised and

The rural development context has been subject to

coordinated on behalf of the region by the Agency.

significant recent policy interventions. As indicated

The nature, content and breadth of actions contained

elsewhere in the Plan, the current rural policy

in later sections of the Plan reflect the proposals made

framework at national level is enshrined within the

by partners according to their experience of

2000-2006 England Rural Development Plan (ERDP),

interventions most likely to reinvigorate the rural

supplemented by the proposals contained within the

economy within the region and indicates their desire to

2000 Rural White Paper (RWP) and the overriding rural

align funding and activities to secure synergy through

and countryside policy objectives outlined by

improved rural development coordination.

Government in preparing the RWP.

As indicated in Figure 1, the Plan is a synthesis that

Other structures of relevance include the UK

takes into account the evidence presented, the wider

Biodiversity Action Plan and Sustainability Plan3, the

strategic and policy frameworks, and a range of other

England Forestry Strategy, the English Tourism Council

features.

Recovery Plan for Rural Tourism along with recent reports/strategies from the Countryside Agency4, the

Throughout the development process, care has been

Hills Task Force5, the Better Regulation Task Force6,

taken to recognise the extent of variation in the nature

the Association of National Park Authorities7, and

and scale of problems facing agriculture in different

emerging reviews from the National Task Force and

parts of the region and attention has been paid to

the Policy Commission on Farming and Food.

4 5 6 7

The Panel members comprised the Chairman of the Agency and other Board Members along with representatives from GONW, NWRA, the Countryside Agency and the Principal of Myerscough Agricultural College. The SSSI PSA target that 95% of SSSIs should be in a favourable condition by 2010 will be an additional important contributor to policy given the scale of environmental designations in the North West. Strategy for Sustainable Land Management, June 2001. Report of the Task Force for the Hills, March 2001. Environmental Regulations and Farmers, November 2000. National Parks as Test-beds for Rural Revival, June 2001.

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In this way, care has been taken to ensure that the At regional level, the relevant policy context includes

Plan will be judicious and efficient in its use of

the Regional Economic Strategy, Rural Action Plan,

resources. One manifestation of this approach is that

Regional Food Strategy, Regional Renewable Energy

some proposed actions are similar in nature to existing

Strategy and Regional Planning Guidance. In addition,

initiatives. This invariably reflects the ‘congestion’

each of the three affected counties in the region

referred to above but also reflects the fact that

(Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire) are currently in

significant incremental investment has already been

the process of designing local recovery plans.

made in the design of structures targeted at promoting recovery in rural areas. The Plan has been conceived

This range of policies creates a ‘congested canvas’

to strengthen and complement such initiatives rather

upon which to draw-up an additional set of proposed

than supersede them, harnessing existing structures

interventions. The defining objective of this plan, on

to increase outcomes per unit of resource input.

the other hand, is to establish a set of actions that aim to reinvigorate the rural economy of the region in the

Structure of the Plan

medium to longer-term. FMD has accelerated the

The remainder of the strategy continues as follows:

need to undertake the planning exercise but has not

• section 4 examines the nature of rural economies,

fundamentally altered the range of structural pressures

the determinants of rural competitiveness and

that have, and will continue to, impact(ed) on the

drivers of change; • section 5 provides an overview of the North West

economic fabric of rural areas. Consequently, the Plan focuses on options that are likely to support the

regional and rural economy alongside consideration

sustainable economic development of rural economies

of development options for primary rural activities

as a priority.

and a SWOT assessment; • section 6 reviews the policy framework within which the RRRAP is to operate;

One of the key strategic principles upon which the

• section 7 outlines a vision, strategic objectives and

Plan is based is that of subsidiarity. It is proposed that

a series of actions to support partner interventions;

implementation and delivery of actions should be

• section 8 outlines envisaged costs, funding and

carried out at the lowest appropriate local level,

impacts; and

building upon the experience and knowledge already

• section 9 outlines the envisaged implementation

gained by partners and taking advantage of the

arrangements.

investment already made in developing local strategic partnerships and delivery mechanisms. Issues of implementation and delivery will be subject to further discussion with partners once the set of County Plans have been finalised.

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4. The Structure, Competitiveness and Changing Nature of the Rural Economy The Nature of Rural Economies

• There tend to be fewer large employers (both in

Rural areas play an important role in sustaining the

terms of workforce size and turnover) in rural areas

economic, social and environmental fabric of the UK.

and more micro-businesses and self-employment;

As outlined in the November 2000 Rural White Paper , 8

• Rural populations tend to be older as the young

rural areas are important due to the fact that they9:

population leave to seek opportunities that are not

• Contain not only a substantial minority of the

available locally;

nation’s population but maintain a wide diversity of

• There exists some variation in unemployment

communities within which people live and work;

experience - some rural districts exhibit below

• Provide a base for economic activity that

average unemployment rates and vice versa; and

contributes to the material wealth of local, regional

• There exist pockets of deprivation that are ‘invisible’

and national economies as well as helping to

in terms of the standard deprivation indicators but

sustain rural communities; and

which present substantial community regeneration

• Contain landscapes and places of great beauty

challenge.

and environmental value. Rural areas can also be distinguished by a number of

Rural areas also provide direct and clear evidence of

other features, notably; the fact that:

the interrelationship between economic activity and the

• Relative sparsity of population and distance from

environment. The relative abundance and use of

urban centres, often aggravated by limitations in

open land not only results in production of a range of

transport infrastructure, combine to:

primary products but produces a series of landscapes

• Raise the costs of local public and private

and habitats with associated environmental and other

service delivery;

non-tangible benefits which generate significant

• Weaken the functioning of product and labour

amenity value and attract large numbers of

markets;

commuters, leisure and recreation visitors and tourists.

• Constrain the commercial benefits of ICT

One of the earliest and most salutary lessons of the

infrastructure development, inhibiting

FMD epidemic has been to indicate the scale of the

investment; and

economic activity that has grown to be supported by

• Hinder the emergence of social and business

the attraction of visitors to rural areas.

networks that operate to support and sustain

8 9

the development process via trading,

The environmental and amenity values generated

collaboration and learning;

though the ‘working’ countryside have resulted in a

‘Our Countryside: the future’, Cm 4909, November 2000. ‘Rural Economies’, Cabinet Office Performance and Information Unit (PIU), HMSO 2000.

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situation where the by–product of that activity helps to

Rural ‘Place’ Competitiveness Barriers

generate as much if not more ‘economic gain’ or

• Physical infrastructure capacity:

value–added than the original direct working of the

• Transport infrastructure:

land. Yet, the primary industry necessary to sustain

■

Is invariably a constraint in rural areas resulting

the attractiveness of the rural environment – agriculture

in reduced accessibility and higher access

– has been undergoing long-term structural decline.

costs, impacting on margins and potentially

This, added to the more recent pressures associated

deterring some forms of relocation/inward

with BSE and FMD, raises the spectre of a continued

investment;

reduction in the ‘core’ workforce, a range of land

■

Rural areas are rarely well served by rail

management issues and potential deterioration in the

infrastructure with very limited freight options

environmental infrastructure of the countryside.

and rural bus services are typically insufficiently comprehensive to sustain much

Rural Competitiveness

commuting activity;

The ultimate source of all economic growth and

■

The private vehicle remains the ultimate, and

prosperity is competitiveness or competitive

frequently only, source of effective and

advantage. The difficulty for rural areas is that the very

efficient transport for many rural residents.

nature of ‘rurality’ raises a number of inherent barriers

• Sites & premises:

to improving local competitiveness.

■

Rural areas may struggle to provide sufficient floorspace to facilitate the efficient functioning

Rural Business Competitiveness Barriers

of rural commercial property markets;

The relative isolation of some rural businesses in terms

■

New additions to stock may, in certain areas,

of formal/informal relationships with other businesses,

be constrained through the planning process

business development organisations, technology

and options for speculative development can

transfer agencies, training suppliers colleges and HEIs

be limited.

may contribute to the degradation of efficiency through

• Residential accommodation:

failure to adopt best practice, failure to undertake

■

Accommodation for commuters, added to

capital investment and failure to upgrade management

the tendency towards second home

and employee/operator skills.

ownership and holiday letting, risks limiting availability of affordable housing to the local

In addition, small rural businesses are subject to the

population, compromising labour supply for

pressures that limit small firms everywhere from

‘local’ business.

undertaking research and development, training,

• ICT capacity:

business planning and other development actions.

■

Mobile communications may be limited and

Maintaining and/or improving the competitiveness of

the costs of delivering wideband internet

rural businesses is, thereby, likely to require relatively

access too prohibitive to encourage private

more intensive business support, guidance and

sector development, inhibiting e-commerce.

training than is the case in urban areas.

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• Connectivity’ capacity:

• Economic and financial infrastructure capacity:

• Strategic location:

• Labour supply: ■

Businesses in rural areas may face problems

■

in targeting and attracting suitable candidates

geographical concentration of the activities

for employment. Population dispersion

that serve different industries, improving

significantly raises hiring costs through the

efficiency and raising competitiveness. The

necessity to advertise opportunities in a

nearest equivalent is market towns though

variety of mediums.

the scale of such agglomeration is lower.

• Education: ■

• Local market demand:

Provides one of the few areas of overall rural

■

population/business centres to benefit from

pressure on viability as larger numbers of

scale economies. Rural areas will not

schools are required to ensure accessibility to

typically possess the required

dispersed populations.

population/business densities in the light of additional transport costs;

Whether better school performance is offset

■

Rural areas may have difficulty in sustaining

by out-migration is unclear as is the extent to

cluster activity since access to large markets

which individuals in rural areas continue to

will be a primary determinant for the cluster

pursue lifelong learning;

‘core’ though the location of specific large

The prevalence of small firms in rural areas,

research and/or government funded

and network isolation, may result in more

institutions can provide an initial spur to

limited workforce development.

cluster development in more peripheral areas.

• Access to capital: ■

Many firms will locate near to

competitive standing though there is inevitable

• Workforce skills: ■

Rural areas generally suffer from a lack of

• Network infrastructure:

The ability of growth orientated rural

■

Potentially weaker ‘network relationships’

enterprises to access capital for growth, and

between businesses, business support

the ability of rural entrepreneurs to secure

organisations (including training) and public

venture finance, are important determinants of

agencies, allied to the increased costs of

rural competitiveness. Both of these areas

service support delivery, may raise

have provided difficulties in the past;

considerable ‘network’ challenges in rural

Financial services have consolidated in

areas.

market towns or urban areas, which lowers

• Local resource capacity:

‘connectivity’, and some evidence exists that

■

Some communities may be too dispersed

distance between investor and borrower is a

and the dynamics of change may have been

factor in determining the allocation of venture

such as to undermine local resource capacity

capital funds in SMEs.

or social capital, requiring capacity building investment;

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■

The concept of the rural ‘idyll’ is replete with

• Rising affluence and changing leisure tastes

the notion of cultural capital but the

have reduced emphasis on the countryside as

dynamics of change may have been such

a resource for production and increased

that much in the way of cultural capital has

emphasis on its potential for ‘consumption’ in

been depleted;

terms of residency, leisure and recreation;

■

Rural areas contain significant natural

• Concerns have emerged that policy structures

environment capital11 and, if combined with

were not only contributing to overproduction

an appropriate built environment, such

with consequences for woodland, hedgerow

competitiveness can reap rewards in terms of

and habitat loss but were consuming excessive

‘export’ earnings through the attraction of

resources on subsidies;

visitors.

• The growing desirability of the rural environment has encouraged relocation of businesses to

The Changing Nature of The Rural Economy

rural areas and opened up opportunities for

Like many other sections of the economy, rural areas

new industry, weakening the general

have been subjected to a series of pressures that

presumption that land-based activities are the

have been responsible for driving the process of

only appropriate form of economic activity;

change.

• Rural areas have been gaining population as

• Economic Drivers

people have moved out from larger towns and

• There has been a steady tendency for average

cities creating development pressures and

farm size to increase for a number of decades

resulting in more extensive ‘contesting’ of

and evidence suggests that there no reason to

countryside management and development;

expect this pattern to change;

• Social Drivers

• Larger farms can be expected to continue

• Most social drivers (such as increasing mobility,

expanding in size through purchase, leasing or

ageing populations, changing household

other contractual arrangements with many

structures) have an important long-run impact

smaller farms breaking up into smaller units

on employment patterns and economic activity;

operated by owners with other sources of

• The continued change in gender activity

income;

patterns with the rise of the female workforce

• Movements in exchange rates, trade

and the increasing participation of women in

liberalization, downward pressure on world crop

paid employment in contrast to declining male

prices and more extensive bureaucracy have all

activity in older age groups is an important

compromised the rewards from agriculture;

consideration of rural areas;

• Rising disposable incomes have refocused

• Other social considerations reflect:

concern about food from quantity to quality with

■

much greater emphasis on choice,

Declining farmer numbers and increasing isolation;

convenience and safety;

The history, traditions, customs, language, music and art of an area that combine to form a common background linking together businesses, workers and public agencies to support the basis of local development Environmental capital includes both natural environment capital (such as landscape and climate) and built environment capital (historic buildings, physical and tourist infrastructure).

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■

Potential large numbers of farmers

• European Species Directive;

approaching retirement without identified

• Policy Commission of Farming and Food.

successors; Increasing personal stress within the farming

Conclusion

and wider agricultural community;

Rural economies maintain a wide diversity of living,

■

Loss of the ‘young’ through out-migration;

working communities, provide a base for a range of

■

Public transport pressure and service

trade and industry and contain landscapes of

detioration;

significant environmental value.

■

Affordable rural housing and social mix;

• Institutional Drivers

Such economies face a number of barriers, however,

• A range of important institutional drivers exist in

that combine in differing degrees across different areas

the form of: ■

■

to constrain rural development and improved

Growing centralisation of public and private

competitiveness. Some of these factors are similar to

services (shops, post offices, schools,

those typically found in urban contexts but many are

hospitals, GPs) away from rural areas;

compounded by sparsity and distance from

The centralisation of processing and

population/business centres which weaken the

marketing of primary agricultural products.

functioning of product and labour markets, hinder the

The additional costs of service delivery in rural

emergence of business networks that support and

areas.

sustain the development process and raise the costs

• Environmental Drivers

of public and private service delivery.

• There has been a significant increase in concern for the environment as well as a

More particularly, rural economies have increasingly

broadening of what constitutes the

become subject to pressures that are fundamentally

environment;

altering the profile of rural areas. Foremost among

• The landscape, wildlife and wilderness ‘values’

these is the fact that the primary industry that indirectly

of many rural areas has grown substantially;

sustains the attractiveness of the rural environment has

• There has been growing concern that policies

been undergoing long-term structural decline,

of agricultural intensification were linked to the

accelerated by BSE and FMD.

declining safety of the environment and of agricultural produce

Maintaining agricultural land-use is an imperative, both

• Policy Drivers

for long-term protection of an essential resource and

• The increasing role of supra-national regulatory

for management of an environment and landscape

bodies such as the EU and the WTO has

character with consequent effects on the

tended to diminish the scope for local control of

attractiveness of the countryside to mobile labour,

markets and management;

potential investors and visitors. However, over the

• EU enlargement and trade liberalization is likely

course of the next decade significant changes are

to impact on the structure of CAP;

likely to emerge from trade liberalisation, expansion of the EU and reform of CAP. It is likely that downward

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pressure on farm incomes will continue and that the

Broadening and extending the economic base of rural

sector will continue to consolidate.

areas and ensuring that such emerging opportunities are both available and accessible will be a key element

With reducing income from traditional farming and

in ensuring the capacity to adapt of the rural economy

declining levels of succession, those wishing to retain

and are primary considerations in the Rural

involvement in agriculture will find it necessary to

Renaissance Plan.

generate income from a broader and diversified range of activities both within and beyond agriculture.

As the PIU (PIU 2000) point out, "These trends impact

Moreover, while agriculture and the primary industries

on different parts of rural England in different ways.

provide an important backbone of the rural economy,

But, taken together, they amount to a fundamental

significantly greater value added and wealth is created

change in views of what the countryside is for and in

by other sectors of the rural economy and it remains

principles and priorities for public policy on rural issues,

the case that rural areas are less diversified than their

as well as in the pattern of social and economic life in

urban counterparts.

rural areas"12 .

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rural Economiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Cabinet Office Performance and Information Unit, 2000

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5. Status and Development Options for the Rural Economy of the Northwest Introduction

though older profiles exist in some parts of the

This section of the document reviews the profile of

region, particularly in coastal resorts and parts

both the rural and the wider economies of the

of the Lake District.

Northwest and considers options for potential

GDP

development. Statistical analysis of rural areas is

• Estimates of regional GDP for 199914 indicate a

hampered by the absence of an agreed definition of

North West figure of £77.6bn, just under 10% of

‘rurality’ but the profile demonstrates a number of

the England total,

features of the rural economy that are important in the

• The 1999 GDP share is some 92% of that for

development of the Rural Renaissance Plan. Some of

1989 indicating a decline in competitiveness

the material contained in the section is taken from the

compared to other parts of the UK.

analyses undertaken by the Regional Planning Group

• Per-capita GDP is lower than all other regions

(RPG), in conjunction with partners, in preparation for

of the UK with the exception of the North East,

the ERDP.

Wales and Northern Ireland.

Regional Context

• Manufacturing contributes 24% of regional GDP

Demographics

and remains much more concentrated within

• The North West region supports a population of

the region than elsewhere. Other business

6.9m persons13, some 14% of the England total,

services and wholesale and retail distribution

within an area of 14,165km2.

account for another 18% and 13% respectively.

• Close to 58% of residents live in the

• Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing

conurbations of Greater Manchester and

account for just 0.9% of GDP. • Greater Manchester is the primary generator of

Merseyside with a significant proportion of the remainder living in the industrial towns of Central

GDP within the region, accounting for some

and East Lancashire and in North Cheshire;

38% of the regional total in contrast to 19% in

• Carlisle, Lancaster, Preston, Bolton, Stockport

Lancashire and Cheshire, 16% in Merseyside and 8% in Cumbria15.

and Chester are major centres for retailing,

• Comparison of GDP distributions over the

leisure, culture and tourism and a relatively large number of market and rural towns exist in

course of the 1990s indicates that Cheshire

Cumbria and North Lancashire, despite the

has experienced most significant relative gain,

absence of large centres of population.

followed by Greater Manchester, but that the

• Age profiles broadly mirrors the national picture 13 14 15

other areas have all lost ground.

OPCS Mid 2000 population estimates. Residence based. County Totals are for 1998.

rural renaissance

• Data on GDP per capita demonstrates that only

double that in Lancashire and Cheshire. Such

Cheshire fares better that the UK average with

activity represents less than 0.5% of

all other areas lying at least 10% or more

employment in the two conurbations17.

behind.

• Close to a fifth working population in the

• Cumbria contains the second highest per

region’s rural areas are self-employed,

capita GDP index value but this has declined

significantly higher than the overall national

by 10% from 1993 when county GDP was

average and primarily the result of the level of

marginally higher than the UK average. Other

agriculture and tourism related activities with

parts of the region have experienced declines

their reliance on part-time, seasonal work.

of between 4% and 7% with the exception of Cheshire where per capita GDP has increased

Unemployment

by just less than 1% over the same period.

• Seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment in the Region, at mid 2001 stands at 3.7% in contrast to

Labour Market Activity

3.0% for England and 3.2% for the UK.

• Activity rates and employment rates are lower in

• Male unemployment lies at 5.4% compared to

the North West than GB.

4.2% for England and 4.5% for the UK;

• Activity rates within the region vary from 70% in

• Female unemployment lies at 1.8% compared

Merseyside to 76.4% in Greater Manchester,

to 1.6% for England and 1.7% for the UK;

77.6% in Cumbria, 79.5% in Lancashire and

• June 2001 claimant count unemployment rates

79.8% in Cheshire and there exists significant

for counties stand at 1.8% for Cheshire, 3.2%

activity rate variation sub-regionally.

for Cumbria, 3.4% for Greater Manchester,

• Employment rates within the region vary from

2.8% for Lancashire and 6.6% for Merseyside.

63.6% in Merseyside to 71.1% in Greater Manchester, 73.0% in Cumbria, 75.2% in

Earnings

Lancashire and 77.1% in Cheshire.

• Average earnings in the Region are below the national average – average gross weekly earnings

Employment

for mid 2000 are reported at £385.70 in contrast

• The service sector accounts for around 70% of

to £416.30 for England and £410.60 for GB;

total employment16 in the region, is least

• Average weekly earnings are highest in Cheshire

concentrated in Cumbria and Lancashire where

(£404.80), followed by Greater Manchester

manufacturing is more dominant and most

(£386.80), Merseyside (£385.30), Lancashire

concentrated in Merseyside (primarily due to public

(382.30) and Cumbria (£371.70)

sector services), Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Education, Qualifications and Skills

• Agriculture and extraction activities account for

• The skill profile of the region shows significant

less than 1% of employment, are most

under-performance at the lower end of the skills

prominent in Cumbria where they account for

spectrum; • Large numbers of working-age residents are

just under 3% of total employment, close to 16 17

ABS 1998 Such activities can, however, be significantly more important at lower spatial scales eg Parishes.

rural renaissance

devoid of any documented skills or qualifications

Land Designation:

with little evidence of a learning culture;

• The bulk of Cumbria and parts of Lancashire

• It is clear from the school league tables that

are designated as Less Favoured Areas (LFAs),

schools based in rural areas, or with predominantly

the majority of which are classified as severely

rural catchment areas, outperform their urban

disadvantaged (SDAs):

counterparts both at GCSE and ‘A’ level.

• Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in the Region include the Lake District, and parts of

• The urban/rural divide is confirmed by analysis of the Basic Skills Survey conducted by the Basic

The North Peak, the South West Peak and the

Skills Agency.

Pennine Dales20,21; • The North West contains three National Parks

Land Use and Quality

(the Lake District National Park, parts of the

• Approximately 80% of land in the region is

Yorkshire Dales National Park and the north-

designated as agricultural, 12% is designated as

west fringe of the Peak District National Park)

non-agricultural and 8% defined as urban.

covering some 18% of the Region’s land area.

• The primary agricultural areas are in Cumbria,

• A further 11% are designated as Areas of

Lancashire and Cheshire where agriculture

Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB - Solway

accounts for 88%, 84% and 83% of land use,

Coast, North Pennines Arnside and Silverdale

though it also accounts for around 40% of land

Forest of Bowland)

use in Manchester and Merseyside. The

• The coastline has one site of 22.8km2

quality of such land is, however, highly

designated as Heritage Coast (St Bees in

variable18,19.

Cumbria).

• Despite the prominence of agriculture, Cumbria

• The Region also contains nationally and

contains a smaller proportion of grade 1 and 2

internationally important nature conservation

quality land than do all other parts of the region,

sites22;

including Manchester and Merseyside.

■

15 RAMSAR sites,

■

15 Special Protection Areas (SPA) (some

• Cumbria also contains by far the highest proportion of grade 5 land (45% of the

cross border),

agricultural total in the county) though

■

38 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC),

proportions of grades 3 and 4 are broadly

■

438 Sites/266,883ha of Special Scientific

comparable with Lancashire. Almost 60% of

Interest (SSSIs) and

Cheshire (and 72% of agricultural land) is

■

graded at level 3.

31/15,854ha National Nature Reserves (NNRs).

• proposals exist to seek World Heritage Site status for the Lake District National Park. 18

19 20

21 22

Agricultural land is graded according to the degree to which its physical and chemical characteristics impose long-term limitations on agricultural use. The main physical factors which are taken into account are climate (particularly rainfall, transpiration, temperature and exposure), relief (particularly slope) and soil (particularly depth, texture, structure, stoniness and available water capacity). The Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) system assigns land into five grades with quality ranging from Grade 1 (the most versatile) to 5 (the least versatile) The ESA Scheme is an agri-environment measure designed to protect and enhance the environment by offering payments to landowners and occupiers in these areas to adopt environmentally beneficial agricultural practices. Land outside the ESA boundaries is eligible for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, a separate agri-environment measure which also offers payments for environmentally sustainable land management and associated capital works. There is one Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ), designated under the EU Nitrate Directive at Kelsall in Cheshire Rural parts of the region also contain many other English Heritage recognised sites of particular heritage interest.

rural renaissance

• Funding (via Tourist Boards) to enable marketing

FMD Impact The impact of FMD on the rural economy of the region

with a view to encouraging visitors back to the

has been evaluated in a series of studies undertaken

countryside; and • Implementation of regeneration initiatives

by Pion Economics23. The evaluations take account of the likely loss of farming, agricultural and tourist

focussed on the rural economy and

incomes, supply-chain expenditures and subsequent

communities.

multiplier effects on local economies within the region. The latest assessment is based on data/evidence

Primary Rural Economy Activity: Agriculture

available as at February 2002 and projects that FMD

Status

has been responsible for:

Agriculture is unique in that while it supports less than 1% of employment in the region, its activities operate

• GVA24 losses to Cumbria in 2001 of broadly

over, and directly influence, 80% of the regions land

equivalent to 4% of county GDP;

area. The agricultural industry is thereby a vital

• GVA losses to Cheshire in 2001 of some 0.2%

contributor to physical management of the countryside

of county GDP;

but it is also the case that agriculture can provide the

• GVA losses to Lancashire in 2001 of some

primary basis of economic activity in many peripheral

0.2%/0.3% of county GDP; and

areas. Concentrating on the relatively small scale of

• GVA losses to the region in 2001 of some

overall activity risks underestimating its importance to

0.4% to 0.5% of regional GDP.

the functioning of the rural economy. The ‘at risk’ assessment of employment as at February 2002 has been substantially reduced in the light of

The North West is an area of wide-ranging agricultural

information on business response to the epidemic.

activity ranging from the predominantly dairy farming

Estimates are now that the initial ‘worst case’ scenario

county of Cheshire to arable and horticulture in South

did not emerge, that businesses have tended to use

West Lancashire and beef and sheep farming in the

previously accumulated resources to sustain activity

upland areas of North Lancashire and Cumbria.

and employment such that the response moderated

Agricultural land data for 2000 indicates25:

‘worst case’ for 2001 has been reduced to just over

• A North West agricultural area of 856,492

8,000 at risk jobs and may in practice turn out to have

hectares (excluding common land), some 9.5% of

been as low as 4,000.

the England total, supporting 17,944 or 12% of all holdings and 11% of agricultural employment in

FMD Policy Response

England;

In the wake of the epidemic, a Business Recovery

• Just over half of agricultural land lies in Cumbria

Plan provided:

with 24% in Lancashire, 18% in Cheshire and the

• Funding to Business Links to enable

remainder in Greater Manchester and Merseyside;

emergency survival advice;

• The distribution of holdings is less extensive – 37%

• Other direct assistance to businesses; 23

24 25

in Cumbria, 30% in Lancashire, 23% in Cheshire

Economic Impact of FMD in the North West of England, Pion Economics, May 2001; Economic Impact of FMD in the North West of England – Update, August 2001. Economic Impact of FMD in the North West of England – Update, February 2002. Gross Value Added. These figures are prior to the outbreak of FMD.

rural renaissance

and 10% in the conurbations – indicating an

surveys of farming profitability though the definition of

average holding of 66 hectares in Cumbria and

regions is not consistent with GO boundaries26. Data

between 27 and 42 hectares elsewhere in the

for the area that includes Cumbria indicates

region;

1999/2000 net farm income figures of between

• Approximately 35% to 40% of land is rented from

£3,900 and £15,500 per farm while those for the

other landowners in Cumbria, Cheshire and

area including Cheshire and Lancashire vary between

Lancashire with slightly higher figures for Greater

-£2,000 and £26,500 per farm.

Manchester and Merseyside; • Grassland dominates agricultural land in the region,

Risk Assessment

with the vast majority classed as permanent

Agriculture continues to undergo significant structural

pasture (i.e. more than 5 years of age). Cereal

adjustment. Over the course of the next decade

cropping took place on 71,500 hectares of land

significant changes are likely to emerge from the

with horticultural crops accounting for another

process of trade liberalisation, expansion of the EU

6,600 hectares; and

and reform of CAP. It is likely that downward pressure

• The North West supports a large number of

on farm incomes will continue and that the sector will

livestock - 1.063 million cattle and calves; 3.705

continue to consolidate. With reducing income from

million sheep and lambs; 246,000 pigs and 9.020

traditional farming and declining levels of succession,

million fowl.

many of those wishing to retain involvement in agriculture will find it necessary to generate income

Economic Profile

from a broader range of activities.

Over the course of the last 5 years, UK agricultural GVA has declined by 34% despite a volume increase

Options

of some 4% and its contribution to total UK GVA has

Diversification Within Agriculture27

declined by 50%. Part of the explanation lies in

There is evidence that the farming community

declining trading conditions whereby crop, livestock,

recognise the potential benefits of diversification and

and product prices have declined by 25% whereas

that elements of farm capital are increasingly being

input prices have fallen by only 8% placing significant

targeted at non-agricultural commercial use.

pressures on margins per unit of output. Total Income

However, not all farms have the suitable physical

From Farming (TIFF) has dropped by 63% with the

resources, location or appropriate skills base through

result that average income per UK agricultural worker

which to attempt non-farming activities.

has declined by some 30% since 1989 and is

In such circumstances diversification within agriculture

equivalent to some £8,500 in 2000 prices.

itself (other than part-time farming to allow employment elsewhere) remains one of the few potential options for

At regional level, agriculture is estimated to contribute

seeking new forms of income. Non-food crops,

somewhere in the area of 1% of total England gross

biomass, organic and agri-environment agriculture are

output and 0.7% of regional GDP. Information on local

the most obvious options.

agricultural incomes is collected through regional 26

Cumbria is contained in the Northern region alongside Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear while Cheshire and Lancashire are contained in the North West region alongside Staffordshire, Shropshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The distinction between within and beyond farm diversification is made only for convenience. Some holdings may diversify in both areas.

rural renaissance

etc.) have often been used for the creation of housing.

• Crops for uses such as industrial oils and lubricants, fibres for textiles, composite building

Potential diversification involving existing buildings might

materials and high value products such as

include the development of workshop facilities, storage

pharmaceuticals are all potential niche areas for

facilities (furniture, warehousing, caravans etc), services

growers of certain agricultural crops.

such as kennels or livery and passive lets.

• Crops that can be developed for non-food or industrial purposes include high erucic acid

One clear form of non-agricultural diversification

rapeseed (HEAR), willow or poplar grown as short

available to farmers is to become involved further down

rotation coppice (SRC).

the line of the food chain, enabling them to "add-value" to production through processing and packaging

• The development of power generation through

before produce leaves the farm:

biomass fuel will generate a requirement for forestry residues and specifically grown energy crops when

• alternative marketing of agricultural products e.g.

commercially viable.

direct marketing, farmers’ markets, farm shops and

• Organic farming is an option also being explored by many food producers as it becomes apparent that

delivery rounds are all potential development

this system offers an opportunity (at least in the

options. • marketing activities such as farm shops offer

short term) to produce high quality goods for a

potential in locations within close proximity to urban

price premium.

markets. Diversification Beyond Agriculture There are few technical limits to the scope of other

An important element in the process of encouraging

forms of on-farm diversification provided they are also

diversification through processing and packaging is

socially and environmentally acceptable. Noise,

promotion and the development of consumer markets.

pollution, traffic generation and effect on the landscape

NWDA is currently supporting the development of a

are critical considerations in this area but emerging

coordinated North West Region Specialty Food Group

opportunities are becoming evident through the

resulting from the work of the North West Food

continuing development of ICT and related

Alliance and the recent regional food strategy which

technologies.

addresses the traditional problems of limited integration in the food supply chain and between the food sector, primary production and tourism.

On-farm diversification does not have to be related to agriculture. It can encompass recreation, crafts, light industry, professional services, general retail and other

The Group comprises the initial development of two

land uses. However, there remain constraints on the

new sub-regional groups to coordinate activity in their

development of new buildings in the countryside and

own areas (Made in Cheshire and Made in

employment-generating development remains relatively

Lancashire) alongside the continued development of

rare despite the fact that previously employment-

the existing Made in Cumbria initiative and the regional

generating sites (local garages, shops, workshops

based North West Fine Foods which aims to promote

rural renaissance

and market specialty food and drink in order to

opportunities remain. The Countryside and Rights of

increase the sales of the regional product in the North

Way Act will, in turn, provide opportunities due to the

West and beyond28. Potential for diversification

need to manage the process of access. Preparation

extends beyond food produce, however, to a much

for such opportunities will require careful planning to

broader range of products including wood and other

ensure that proposed alternative uses for agricultural

crafts, wool and leather.

land are secured in a sustainable manner.

More generally, reducing the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;distanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; between

Finally, there is scope for agricultural land to be

producers of foods/crafts and consumers, either

developed for a variety of non-agricultural purposes

through use of ICT or strengthening links with urban

such as mineral extraction, water catchment

areas is likely to prove crucial to the development of

purposes, new housing/industrial sites, a wide range

new market opportunities.

of leisure and sporting facilities, as well as for the housing of renewable energy sites (e.g. wind turbines).

The increasing demands for quality assured crops may lead to a gradual move away from on-farm drying and

Off-farm Employment of Farm Household Members

storage towards greater use of co-operative and

As farming incomes have declined, evidence suggests

private drying and storage facilities of which there are

that off-farm incomes have acted to offset the perilous

few in the Region. There is also only limited

state of many farming household incomes. The ability

collaborative activity between farmers to apply new

to access off-farm opportunities is likely to continue to

technologies, develop innovative processes and

represent a mechanism through which many farming

become more closely involved in marketing and

families will continue to work the land and maintain an

processing procedures. These are areas of potential

acceptable standard of living. In practice, potential off-

support and development.

farm employment opportunities are likely to be linked with access to labour markets and therefore more

Another potential area of diversification is that of farm-

prevalent in urban/market town fringes than in marginal

based visitor facilities including farm-based

upland areas.

accommodation (bed and breakfast, self-catering, camping/caravanning) and farm-based

Primary Rural Economy Activity: Forestry

recreation/leisure/education/catering facilities (farm

Status

parks, sports, golf, tea rooms). The regional ERDP

With coverage of some 92,000 hectares, the North

research suggests that only about 2% of farms

West has one of the lowest levels of tree cover in

nationally operate commercial recreational/leisure

England. Coverage ranges from the mountainous

facilities. These encompass a wide range of activities

landscape of Cumbria (7.5% cover) to the sparsely

ranging from traditional pursuits such as riding,

wooded plains of Lancashire and Cheshire (less than

shooting and fishing, through to open working farms,

4% cover) and the conurbations of Greater

rare breeds centres, facilities for motor sports,

Manchester and Merseyside. Despite such variation,

paintballing and golf courses but significant expansion

there exist extensive areas of broadleaf woodland, a

Its products range from dairy products, meat, preserves, and confectionery to beverages and fresh produce. The group has been involved in a number of initiatives to promote good quality food produced locally, thus supporting rural businesses.

rural renaissance

significant amount of which is classified as Ancient

Options

Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW). Much of this lies in

Options for woodlands in the context of the RRRAP

North Lancashire and Cumbria where a large number

include:

of sites are designated as SSSIs and are of

• generating income through increased recreation, tourism, crafts, country sports and environmental

international importance.

management; • assisting and guiding landowners and farmers to

Forest Enterprise manages 28% of the region’s

adopt integrated woodland management practices,

woodlands including the Forest Parks; the region also •

contains the two largest of England’s 12 Community

providing an alternative use for farmers wishing to downscale their activities;

Forests (Red Rose and Mersey Forests) and there are •

a wide range of existing partnerships delivering multi-

assisting growth of cluster activities for use of wood residue and short rotation coppice for

purpose, integrated woodlands development.

biofuels development; • complementing the livestock business providing a

Economic Profile The overall 1999/2000 gross output contribution of

sources of shelter, fencing material, renewable

forestry and associated processing in England is

energy and seasonal work opportunities; and • contributing to biodiversity, protecting water quality

estimated to lie in the region of £1bn, producing a net

and soils.

output figure of some £380m29. Standing timber prices have been subject to a long-term trend decline for some decades, nevertheless the region contains

There is significant scope for both existing and new

24 of the 97 paper mills that exist in the UK with an

woodlands to contribute to agricultural diversification

estimated employment of some 3,200. This is

and wider rural development. Opportunities for tailored

relatively small in comparison to agriculture but may

woodland creation are extensive throughout the region

undervalue the role of forestry as a basis for attracting

with plenty of scope to balance woodland creation

land-based recreation visitors. The Forest Parks in the

against other land uses and to complement

region are estimated to attract 1m visitors per annum

environment and landscape needs.

with associated benefits for local economies. Primary Rural Economy Activity: Recreation Risk Assessment

and Tourism

Traditional forestry products may well have reached

Status

market maturity and future development may be more

The rural areas of the North West provide a wide

suited to aiding rural development through promoting

range of opportunities for access and recreation:

woodland as a complement to wider regeneration

• The region contains the Lake District National Park,

objectives – assisting agricultural diversification,

parts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the

increasing the amenity resource offer by

Peak Park and a wide variety of stately and historic

complementing the tourist industry, contributing to

houses, churches, parks and gardens open to the

environmental and habitat renewal and providing a

public;

base for wood products and crafts. 29

Forestry Commission England Impact Study – ‘English Forestry Contribution to Rural Economics.

rural renaissance

• It has a significant resource of existing or planned

expenditure of £536m. Overseas tourists accounted

long distance trail routes;

for another 0.24m visits, 1.6m nights and £64m

• Forest parks and community forests promote

expenditure.

access and encourage a strategic approach to managing the countryside in and around towns

Risk Assessment

and cities;

Tourism is likely to remain a long-term contributor to

• The water and coastline resources of the Region

the rural economy in the region though emerging

are diverse and provide a variety of opportunities

leisure patterns may impact on the nature of the

for water sports and recreational activities;

existing product.32 It is likely therefore that a

• The 2002 Commonwealth Games will not only

broadening of the range of such opportunities will be

make a significant contribution to the regeneration

required to ensure that the region can increase its

of East Manchester but will provide an opportunity

market share of future growth as well as sustaining its

to attract visitors to all parts of the region.

more traditional tourism offer. While the growth of tourism and recreation presents opportunities for the

Economic Profile

rural economy, it is also necessary to ensure that

The English Tourism Council (ETC) estimates that

development is sustainable and does not develop in a

tourism in England accounts for £50bn of spending,

way which threatens the quality of the environment on

some 4% of English GDP, 6% of consumer spending

which it depends.

and provides employment to 1.5m persons. The latest data from the United Kingdom Tourism Survey

Options

(UKTS) relate to 1999 and indicate that domestic UK

Options for tourism in the context of the Rural

residents made some 14.4m trips30 to the region and

Renaissance include:

spent approximately £1.6b. With overseas visitors

• strengthening the marketing or rural destinations and products;

adding another 10% to 15% to numbers and spending more than £1bn, this scale of tourism activity

• strengthening the competitive position of the

represents a major contribution to regional GDP and

region;

income31.

• developing activity and countryside sports and recreation tourism;

Domestic trips to Cheshire and Lancashire totalled

• improving the quality of and networking of operators;

some 6.2m in 1999, accounted for 18.4m bednights

• improving and widening the range of quality

and expenditure of £733m. Figures on overseas

accommodation;

tourists report 0.5m trips, 3.1m bednights and expenditure of £182m. Figures for Cumbria include 3.6m domestic trips, 13.5m bednights and

30 31

Trips are defined within the UKTS as any holiday trips, visits to friends and relatives (VFRs) and business trips that last for one night or more. The North West GO region is covered by two tourist-boards, the North West Tourist Board (NWTB) which covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside and the Cumbria Tourist Board (CTB). The Government is also planning to introduce a new statutory right of access on foot to mountain, moor, heath and registered common land for open-air recreation. Access to woodlands, coastal areas and watersides are also to be considered for their suitability. These proposals may help to increase leisure and recreation visitors.

rural renaissance

Rural Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities In the light of the above analysis, and previous research, it is possible to establish a range of features which combine to characterize the rural economy in the North West.

Weaknesses Economic: • Lack of skills and culture change • Poor infrastructure and access to services • Decline in farm incomes • Lack of capital for diversification • Tenancy restrictions & planning constraints • Food Supply chain • Lack of entrepreneurs and marketing skills • Lack of alternative upland options in upland • ICT infrastructure • Little tradition of collaboration

Strengths Economic: • Available workforce • Tourism • Delivery partnerships. • Woodland initiatives • Community forests • High quality environment Environmental • Recognised importance of key conservation areas • Sub-regional diversity • Community Forests • Forest Parks • National and international designations • Coastline and estuaries • Distinctive agricultural breeds

Environmental • Quality of habitats often poor • Scattered distribution of habitats • Areas of overgrazing and landscape dereliction. • Decline in farmland bird species. • Lack of environmental management skills • Low woodland cover

Social • Role of market towns as a focus for services & culture and jobs • Voluntary sector • Community identity • Presence of large institution landowners • Recreational assets

Social • Rural leadership • Ageing population & opportunities for the young • Limited employment roles for women • Childcare, local services & public transport • Low incomes • Peripherality & isolation • Access to education & training • Public transport & wider transport infrastructure

Opportunities Economic: • Develop culture of entrepreneurship • Promote Tourism and Leisure • Add value to foodstuffs • Woodland development • Supply chain development. • Diversification, crops and renewable energy • Stock of buildings from decline in agriculture • Increase skills base • Reform of CAP • Experience of rural business support delivery

Threats Economic: • WTO/CAP/EU enlargement • Regulation – stifle innovation, • Abattoirs reduced in number • Food integrity • Balance between promoting tourism and damage to the environment • Lack of capital for investment in new enterprises

Environmental • Expand biodiversity • Restore and create woodland • Organic farming • Increased interest in agri-environment schemes • Growing demand for recreation and access

Environmental • Unfavourable management • Current agriculture policies and economics • Areas of landscape dereliction • Development pressures on green belt and market towns and small communities • Ageing profile of farmers & lack of heirs • Loss of traditional management skills • Overgrazing

Social • Enrichment of market towns • Social benefits from agricultural change • Community capacity building • Development of voluntary sector

Social • Funding competition with urban areas • Agricultural support industry decline • Polarization of rural area • Depopulation of hill areas

rural renaissance

6. The Policy Context Introduction

included a so-called ‘Peace Deal’ that prevents any

The Rural Renaissance has been developed within the

challenge of the CAP until 2003; • Proposals for EU enlargement and expectations

context of a raft of existing and emerging policy initiatives and strategies. These provide an important

GATT rounds would seek reductions in both tariffs

backdrop to the Plan and the desire that it should

and market support encouraged further reforms in

maintain a high degree of consistency, coherence and

the late 1990s with a set of further commodity

integration with the wider policy framework. This

price cuts covering a wider range of agricultural

section reviews the recent changing pattern and

sectors and introducing greater degree subsidiarity

context of UK Rural Policy.

for Member States in implementing elements of the CAP33.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

• The reforms also introduced the Rural

One of the most significant determinants of current

Development Regulation (RDR) which has now

rural policy is the CAP, introduced in the early 1960s

come to be known as the second ‘pillar’ of CAP 34.

by the original members of the Community to address

The RDR required Member States to draw up

the issue of food security at the European level. The

Rural Development Plans for the period 2000-

primary purpose of the Policy was to raise production

2006 but also introduced provisions for up to 20%

levels and to reduce reliance on imports through

of direct compensatory payments to fund agri-

financial support and market regulation.

environment, afforestation of agricultural land, LFA

Over time, chronic surpluses began to emerge as

support and early retirement schemes35.

production responded to the incentives of the scheme, aggravating relationships with other trading

National Policy Initiatives

blocks less reliant on subsidy structures and raising

Far from being a forgotten, rural development issues

concerns about environmental damage through

are addressed by a relatively large number of recent

overproduction. Such difficulties have encouraged a

national and regional strategy documents.

long process of reform that is still underway today: • The introduction of quotas and set-aside schemes

UK Rural Policy Objectives

in the 1980s were followed by reforms in 1992

Preparation for the 2000 Comprehensive Spending

which reduced a range of support prices alongside

Review included an Interdepartmental Cross-Cutting

compensating income compensation and

review of Rural Policy which agreed a series of high

extended thinking with regard to associated social

level objectives for rural and countryside policy to be

and agri-environmental measures.

taken forward in Departmental PSAs and to inform the

• The 1995 Uruguay Round Agricultural Agreement

development of the Rural White Paper. Five objectives

allowed agriculture to be covered by GATT and

33 34 35

were identified designed to:

The so-called ‘degressivity’ option, to reduce compensation payments over time, was not however accepted. The first pillar broadly accounts for 90% of CAP budget costs (27% for market price support and 63% for direct payments to farmers) leaving the second pillar some 10% of the budget. The UK initially agreed to divert 2% of direct payments through this ‘moderation’ mechanism rising to 4.5% in 2005.

rural renaissance

• Ensuring everyone can enjoy an accessible

• Facilitate the development of dynamic, competitive

countryside.

and sustainable economies in the countryside,

• A vibrant countryside which can shape its own

tackling poverty in rural areas;

future to be achieved by:

• Maintain and stimulate communities, and secure

• Giving local power to country towns and

access to services which is equitable in all the

villages; and

circumstances, for those who live or work in the

• Rural proofing.

countryside; • Conserve and enhance rural landscapes and the diversity and abundance of wildlife (including the

The England Rural Development Plan (ERDP)

habitats on which it depends);

The ERDP is an important document in that develops a range of actions consistent with the ambitions of the

• Increase opportunities for people to get enjoyment from the countryside and to open up public

RDR and draws these actions from a set of key

access to mountain, moor, heath and down and

national priorities that are broader in content and

registered common land by the end of 2005; and

outlook than the Regulation and are designed to enable an integrated approach to support for rural

• Promote government responsiveness to rural

development using both Community and national

communities.

instruments. Our Countryside: The Rural White Paper (RWP) The RWP sets out a vision for rural areas which

National Priorities for the Rural Economy

incorporates

• Priority 1: To facilitate the development of

• A living countryside with thriving rural communities

dynamic, competitive and sustainable economies

and access to high quality public services to be

in the English countryside, tackling poverty in rural

achieved via:

areas; • Priority 2: To maintain and stimulate

• Supporting vital village services; • Modernising rural services;

communities, and secure access to services

• Providing affordable homes; and

which is equitable in all the circumstances, for

• Delivering local transport solutions.

those who live or work in the countryside; • Priority 3: To conserve and enhance rural

• A working countryside with a diverse economy giving high and stable levels of employment to be

landscapes and the diversity and abundance of

achieved by:

wildlife (including the habitats on which it depends),

• Rejuvenating market towns and a thriving local

to safeguard their integrity and value for future generations and to provide a source of economic

economies; and

opportunity; and

• Setting a new direction for farming by:

• Priority 4: To increase opportunities for people to

• A protected countryside in which the

enjoy the countryside.

environment is sustained and enhanced and which all can enjoy to be achieved by:

ERDP Programme, Priorities and Measures

• Preserving what makes rural England special:

Taking into account the scope of the Regulation,

and

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available financial allocations, a review of previous

economy and conservation and enhancement of the

interventions, consultation and a SWOT assessment,

rural environment - as the basis of the Programme to

the ERDP has been designed to focus on two

200636. Tables 6.1 and 6.2 outline the range of

priorities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; creating a productive and sustainable rural

activities to be supported under the Programme.

Table 6.1: ERDP Priority A Profile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Creation of a Productive and Sustainable Rural Economy Priority Level Objective(s)

Measure Level Objective

Actions to be implemented

Projects to:

Investment in agricultural holdings to support the development of more sustainable and competitive farming businesses with improved agricultural incomes, redeployed production and diversified farm activities.

A new Rural Enterprise Scheme providing grant aid for capital investments in agricultural diversification and a new Energy Crops Scheme providing grant aid for the establishment of miscanthus.

Training to broaden the skills base of the agricultural and forestry workforce to enable it to meet the challenges of the re-orientation of agriculture and forestry and contribute to the new demands of the rural economy.

The introduction of a new regionally targeted Vocational Training Scheme to facilitate the delivery of other measures under the Programme.

Improving processing and marketing of agricultural products to encourage innovation and investment to achieve added value for English primary products and to enhance market opportunities.

The re-introduction of Processing and Marketing Grants.

Afforestation of agricultural land and other forestry measures to improve the landscape, habitats, wildlife and amenity value of agricultural and non-agricultural land by planting woodland, creating employment and diversifying land use to improve the ecological and social functions of existing forests; and to encourage the growth and collaborative production of short rotation coppice as a contribution to tackling climate change.

The existing Woodland Grant and Farm Woodland Premium Schemes and a new Energy Crops Scheme

Adaptation and development of rural areas to provide targeted assistance to support the development of more sustainable, diversified, enterprising rural economies and communities, assisting regeneration and adjustment to the declining importance of agriculture and to the new demands of the rural economy.

A new Rural Enterprise Scheme to involve setting-up of farm relief and farm management services; marketing of quality agricultural products; basic services for the rural economy and population; diversification of agricultural activities and activities close to agriculture to provide multiple activities or alternative incomes; agricultural water resources management; development and improvement of infrastructure connected with the development of agriculture; encouragement for tourist and craft activities

create more diverse and competitive agriculture and forestry sectors; create new jobs in the countryside; encourage the development of new products, market outlets and greater collaboration; and provide targeted training to support these new activities

The ERDP contains no provisions for aiding for the early retirement of farmers and farm workers or nor aid for setting up young farmers in the light of consultations and economic appraisal evidence.

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Table 6.2: ERDP Priority B Profile - Conservation and Enhancement of the Rural Environment

Priority Level Objective(s)

Measure Level Objective

Actions to be implemented

Projects to:

Agri-environment support to conserve and improve the landscape, wildlife and historic heritage of the countryside, contributing directly and indirectly to economic activity and social objectives in rural areas.

The existing Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship Schemes and the re-opened Organic Farming Scheme.

Less Favoured Areas (LFA) support to help preserve the farmed upland environment through sustainable management and to contribute the maintenance of the social fabric in upland communities.

The introduction of a new Hill Farm Allowance Scheme (HFAS).

Adaptation and development of rural areas to provide targeted assistance to support the development of more sustainable, diversified, enterprising rural economies and communities; assist their regeneration and adjustment to the declining importance of agriculture and to the new demands of the rural economy.

A new Rural Enterprise Scheme to renovate and develop villages; protect and conserve rural heritage and protect the environment in connection with agriculture.

significantly increase the area covered by agri-environment schemes over the Programme period and to maintain the sustainable management of an appropriate area of the Less Favoured Areas

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Within the context of the Programme, the

RDA Rural Development Research and Priorities

Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Organic Farming, Hill

In the wake of the FMD crisis, the English RDAs

Livestock Compensatory Allowance and Hill Firm

commissioned an exercise to examine key issues

Allowance Schemes are operated on a national basis

affecting rural areas, identify future scenarios and

only. The Countryside Stewardship, Farm Woodland

associated challenges and suggest priority actions39.

Premium, Woodland Grant and Energy Crops

The proposed actions included:

schemes have some degree of regional discretion in

• Help shape farming by influencing UK/EU

targeting but operate within a national framework while

approaches to CAP reform;

Processing and Marketing Grants, the Rural Enterprise

• Strengthen role in reintegrating agriculture and land

and the Vocational Training Schemes are directed

management into regional economies;

through Regional Programming Committees.

• Reinvigorate the development and promotion of tourism;

Other Policy Initiatives

• Encourage an enabling planning system that

Other structures of relevance include the UK

promotes sensitive economic development;

Biodiversity Action Plan and Sustainability Plan37 and

• Ensure rural businesses/locations are integral to RDA strategies;

the England Forestry Strategy along with recent

• Address economic/service decline through

reports/strategies from the Countryside Agency, the

innovation in market towns;

Hills Task Force, the Better Regulation Task Force,

• Take the lead in new institutional arrangements and

Lord Haskins, the Rural Task Force and the

influence the development of rural policy;

Association of National Park Authorities38.

• ‘Think rural’ by improving rural coordination and ‘proofing’ at regional level;

Policy Commission on Farming and Food

• Promote rural recovery/regeneration as an integral

In the wake of FMD, the Government established a

part of regional development; and

Policy Commission on Farming and Food to advise on

• Understand rural – improve indicators data

the creation of a sustainable, competitive and diverse

collection and intelligence gathering.

farming and food sector that contributes to a thriving and sustainable rural economy, advances environmental, economic, health and animal welfare goals, and is consistent with its aims for CAP reform, enlargement of the EU and increased trade liberalization. The commission reported in January 2002 and provided a series of recommendations based on themes relating to profit, the environment and people. Table 6.3 summarises a range of the recommendations.

All are referenced in notes 4-7 above. The ANPA has recently outlined proposals for National Parks to become test-beds for rural survival. These involve establishing multi-disciplinary rural revival teams, a rural revival projects fund, fresh start and sustainable development initiatives.

‘RDAs and Rural Development: Priorities for Action’, Centre for Rural Economy, university of Newcastle and Arup Economics and Planning.

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Table 6.3: - Farming and Food Commission Recommendations

Environment • reinforce government commitment to the environment • remove price supports/production controls/direct payments • progressive transfer of resources to Pillar II & increase modulation to 10%/20% over time • improve application procedures for agric-environment schemes • promotion of whole-farm audits • introduce ‘broad and shallow’ schemes for hill areas • more support for organic farming • capital allowances for pollution control/monitoring equipment • maintain strategy to reduce pesticide risk • encourage supermarkets to reexamine supply routes • maintain review of landfill tax rate • support FSA work on labeling • improve access to farms through CROW 2000 Act • better enforcement of welfare codes

Profile • reform of CAP to: • remove price supports/production controls/direct payments • progressive transfer of resources to Pillar II & increase modulation • better risk management of currency fluctuations • improved R&D/technology transfer • promotion of demonstration farms • improvements to supply chain • encourage collaboration between farmers • promote red tractor standard • improved competitiveness of red meat sector • expansion of processing and marketing support • mainstream locality food marketing • protect local locality brands • regulation should move towards whole farm approach • develop animal health strategy • improved planning advice for diversification • develop long-term strategy for non-food crops • improve facilitation advice/support • encourage new entrants • promotion of vocational training • improve business advice

People • support FSA work on labeling • improve access to farms through CROW 2000 Act better enforcement of welfare codes • improve transparency of public regulatory bodies • promote improved nutrition strategy • review procurement of food by public sector

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Recent Regional Initiatives

• Establish the North West Food Alliance at the heart

The North West Regional Economic Strategy

of agri-food sector and activity within the region;

and Rural Action Plan

• Create and reinforce a positive image of the region,

The regional economic strategy is based on a 20 year

its producers and processors;

vision and contains a set of four related themes with

• Develop markets for the regions food;

associated objectives and priorities to guide policy

• Develop skills and enterprise within the sector;

action40, namely

• Promote technology and innovation;

• Investing in Business and Ideas

• Deliver specialist business support and advice for the sector;

• Investing in People and Communities • Investing in Infrastructure

• Improved business organisation;

• Investing in Image and the Environment

• Promote inward investment; and

The RAP built upon the RES to extend the focus of

• Promote environmental good practice.

the latter across rural areas in the region but is Action for Sustainability

effectively superseded by the current Plan41.

Northwest England’s framework for sustainable The North West Food Strategy (RFS)

development is enshrined in the Action for

The RFS has been conceived with the express

Sustainability Action Plan42. Objectives are defined in

purpose of developing the agri-food sector within

terms of the Live, Protect Save and Grow themes that

the region. It proposes nine strategic objectives

underpin actions: These are outlined in Table 6.7.

designed to:

41 42

The RES is supported by a regional HRD Strategy – The Right Angle on Skills - which contains a set of objectives and priorities to guide policy action in increasing employer demand; increasing individual demand; promoting equality of opportunity; and improving the functioning of the labour market. The RES is to be reviewed during 2002 NWRA 2000

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Table 6.7: - Action for Sustainability Objectives Live Action Plan objectives: To • Reduce Poverty • Encourage communities to be actively involved in local decision making and voluntary activities • Improve access to basic goods, services and amenities • Improve health and increase life expectancy • Increase the proportion of the population living in good quality affordable and resource efficient housing • Reduce crime, disorder and fear of crime • Improve educational achievement, training and opportunities for lifelong learning and employability • Improve the skills and competence of the workforce • Reduce homelessness • Ensure that food and drink is affordable, of good quality and safe • Reduce health inequalities • Improve equity and equality of opportunity for people and reduce all forms of discrimination • Develop the social economy and not-for-profit sector • Improve the economic performance of excluded communities • Reverse the trend of the depopulation of major conurbations • Raise awareness of issues relating to social progress and its relationship with the other two themes for sustainable development

Protect Action Plan Objectives: To • Protect and enhance endangered and valued species and habitats • Increase tree cover in the region and ensure active and sustainable management • Protect and enhance local distinctiveness, wildlife value and general quality and accessibility of landscapes • Protect, enhance and, where necessary, restore the quality of inland, estuarine and coastal waters • Protect or, where necessary, improve local air quality • Create new areas of habitat and manage existing networks of sites, which are essential for the movement and interchange between populations of wildlife and the general enhancement of biodiversity • Protect historic biological, geological, landscape and land form features (earth heritage sites) • Reduce the potential impact of climate change • Protect, enhance and, where necessary, restore the quality of land • Raise awareness of issues relating to environmental protection and its relationship with the other themes for sustainable development

Save Action Plans: To • Reduce emissions of gases which contribute to climate change • Increase the use of demand management and mew technologies to reduce energy and water consumption • Increase the proportion of energy generated from sustainable and renewable resources • Minimize the production of waste and increase recycling and recovery rates • Reduce the use of primary minerals • Ensure the preservation, sensitive adaptation and re-use of the built heritage • Minimise intrusion of new development onto greenfield sites and green spaces in the countryside and urban areas • Ensure the sustainable management of water resources • Achieve sustainable inland and coastal and sea fisheries • Promote the use of good design to improve the aesthetic, efficiency and longevity qualities of products and development projects to maximize net social and environmental gain • Manage nuclear waste safely • Ensure the use of best practice in the management of general and special wastes • Raise awareness of issues relating to prudent use of natural resources and its relationship with the other themes for sustainable development

Grow Action Plan: To • Reclaims dereliction, accelerate regeneration and optimize the beneficial use of brownfield sites • Reduce the need to travel and improve choice and use of sustainable transport modes • Increase the level of investment in and use of reail and water freight transport • Increase investment in, training for and use of information and communication technology • Increase the level of engagement of large companies in corporate social responsibility and business excellence • Increase investment and employment and development of sustainable leisure and tourism • Increase investment, employment and innovation in clean technologies and services • Improve the image of the Northwest • Stimulate entrepreneurship and promote innovation and creativity • Remove barriers to employment • Accelerate business development, encourage spinout business from large companies and improve the survival rates of newly registered businesses • Increase the use of locally produced goods, food and services • Increase investment and employment in, and development, of sustainable agriculture • Encourage academic and public bodies to secure more R&D investment and improve links with business needs • Increase investment and employment in, and development of , cultural, creative and new media industries • Raise awareness of issues relating to economic success and its relationship with other themes for sustainable development

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Renewable Energy

NWDA and Rural Regeneration in the

The potential available from renewable energy has

North West

been defined via a detailed study funded by a wide

At present NWDA Rural Development Programme

range of regional and national partners and which

(RDP) spending is concentrated in two designated

identifies wind power, solar energy and biomass as

Rural Priority Areas (RPAs), defined in 1994 as being

capable of delivering new jobs, inward investment,

the areas of greatest rural need in the region. The

rural diversification and fewer greenhouse emissions43.

Agency will continue to report on activity within the two designated RPAs and has extended funding for the

Regional Planning Guidance (RPG)

Programme until April 2003 to provide an effective

The Draft RPG for the North West44 is structured

resourcing ‘bridge’ until the Rural Renaissance Plan is

around a core strategy, namely the delivery of

fully implemented.

sustainable development defined as: In future regeneration programmes, NWDA intends to

• Social progress which recognises the needs of

concentrate on the economic regeneration of

everyone; • Effective protection of the environment;

communities, complementing the activities of other

• Prudent use of natural resources; and

agencies, bringing mainstream resources to bear on

• Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic

the range of issues which affect them and to work through sub-regional and local strategic partnerships.

growth and employment. This is supported by three principles - economy in the

The new approach will not mean new geographical

use of land, enhancing existing capital, quality in the

target areas but the establishment of thematic priorities

use of land – and six objectives:

or ones relating to local spatial targets (eg. market

• Achieving greater economic competitiveness and

towns) or identified, generic business requirements (such as managed workspace facilities).

growth; • Securing an urban renaissance in the cities and

Both RDP partnerships in Cumbria and Lancashire

towns of the North West;

have recently revised their RPA strategies in line with

• Sustaining the region’s smaller rural and coastal

NWDA objectives and discussions are taking place

communities;

with new and proposed sub-regional partnerships and

• Prudent management of the region’s environmental

LSPs about their rural priorities and actions plans.

and cultural assets; • Securing environmental quality; and • Creating an accessible region.

The Market Towns Initiative also gives the Agency the

RPG makes specific reference to support for

ability to target resources on rural service centres and

agriculture (RU4) diversification of the rural economy,

their hinterlands in order to increase the impact of

(RU5) and support for local services in rural areas

regeneration activity where required. The NWDA

(RU6).

Board has agreed a number of priority towns in Cumbria and Lancashire where action plans will be developed in coming months and where the majority

43 44

From Power to Prosperity, Sustainability North West, 2001 People, Places and Prosperity, NWRA, 2000

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of the existing resources for the initiative will be

NWDA also has the capacity to fund ‘ad hoc’

targeted over the next 3 to 4 years. It is expected that

schemes which address spatial and thematic priorities

the Agency will continue to work with local

of a large nature and which may require a pilot phase,

partnerships to identify new priority towns, or priorities

which are not covered by any of the existing

within towns, in order to make use of proposed new

partnerships or which might involve small scale studies

resources and to expand the potential of the initiative.

of local interest.

There are, in addition, a number of existing and new schemes run under former SRB regulations which

The intention is to integrate these funding streams

address local issues of importance to rural areas or

through the Rural Renaissance Plan and it is

thematic issues on a strategic basis. These include:

anticipated that each shire county will produce a subregional plan that ‘nests’ beneath it. These subregional plans will be appraised by NWDA as potential

• Enterprising Rural Communities scheme in north

delegated schemes under the new single financial

Lancashire;

framework arrangements post April 2002.

• Cleator Moor Regeneration scheme; • Maryport Regeneration scheme; • Sustainable Tourism scheme being run by Cumbria Tourist Board; • CREDITS scheme - establishing Community Development Centres in rural parts of Cumbria; • New Frontiers scheme - offering careers advice in rural Cumbria; and • Distinctly Cumbrian scheme - seeking to promote and enhance local food production in Cumbria.

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7. The Recovery Strategy and Action Plan • Recognising the values of diversity, quality of life

Introduction

and the distinctiveness of the countryside;

This section outlines the proposed Recovery Strategy and Action Plan in the light the preceding analysis, the assessment of the rural economy in the region and

To secure these aims the strategy promotes the

the existing/developing policy framework.

development of an integrated package of initiatives tailored to the needs of the region as informed by scrutiny of regional circumstances.

The Strategy provides the proposed framework for promoting the sustainable recovery of rural area economies in the region and is designed in the form of

Strategic Principles

a vision supported by agreed themes and objectives

The strategy is founded on a number of strategic

designed to direct the effort of delivery agents/partners

principles designed to guide the nature of activity and

through specific interventions/projects.

partner contributions, namely:

Vision

• Objective driven - rather than responding in a reactive way, Rural Renaissance sets out a clear

A dynamic rural economy for the North West

vision with actions designed to contribute towards

which is financially, socially and

securing these aims ; • Additionality - the key focus of actions should , as

environmentally sustainable

far as possible, focus on generating net additional Strategic Aims

improvements in local conditions, i.e.

In order to achieve the vision, a number of strategic

improvements over and above what would have

aims have been identified. These include:

happened anyway; • Beneficiary focused - the focus should be potential

• Recognising and accepting the countryside as a

beneficiaries, not the process;

living workplace;

• Quality - a key feature of the strategy will be to

• Accepting the countryside as a place of continual

focus on delivering high quality programmes and

change;

activities;

• Creating sustainable rural economies through

• Partnership driven - the recovery process will be

economic development opportunities that place priority on, safeguard and protect, valued

delivered through an integrated partnership

landscapes and biodiversity;

approach; • Flexibility - this plan should not be cast in stone

• Enhancing social inclusion and integration;

and both it and partners must be able, within the

• Creating a more integrated economic and social network infrastructure between farming and other

framework provided by the strategy, to respond to

rural business and residential communities; and

new opportunities and challenges as they emerge; 36

rural renaissance

• Performance orientated and Value for Money –

Actions:

actions will seek to achieve real and lasting

• Provision of rural business support/

improvements in a cost effective way and thus

development advice and/or intermediaries;

emphasis should be given to outcomes not just

• Develop rural enterprise support network

outputs and inputs; and

providing facilitation and advice, comprising rural

• Subsidiary in nature - delivery of the plan should be

development officers with network managers;

carried out at the lowest appropriate local level.

• Coordinate rural ICT strategy to incorporate infrastructure, training and e-commerce;

Strategic Objectives and Policy Actions45

• Continue support for ICT related investment in rural areas;

The Action Plan is based on a series of specific

• Target opportunities for IT training both for

interventions. This section reviews the proposed intervention strategy and is followed by discussion of

members of the farming community and those

partner roles and funding. It is proposed that

who are being forced to leave it due to

implementation and delivery of actions should be

economic restructuring; • Continue reviewing emerging broadband

carried out at the lowest appropriate local level, building upon the experience and knowledge already

technology capability and opportunities for rural

gained by partners and taking advantage of the

connectivity; • Attract inward investment, of appropriate scale,

investment already made in developing local strategic partnerships and delivery mechanisms. Issues of

focusing on ‘rural’ potential in the area of

implementation and delivery will be subject to further

environmental technology, remediation and

discussion with partners once the set of County Plans

related knowledge based industry sectors; • Facilitate rural business finance scheme;

have been finalised.

• Examine integrated transport options and SO1: Broadening the Economic Base of Rural

promotion of the transport needs of rural

Areas

communities within the Regional Transport

Rationale: While agriculture and the primary industries

Strategy; • Build upon recent workspace and new

provide an important backbone of the rural economy, significantly greater value added and wealth is created

premises studies to promote relocation, inward

by other sectors of the rural economy and it remains

investment as well as new starts and bring

the case that rural areas are less diversified than their

forward sites for employment purposes; • Support a woodland rural development

urban counterparts. In attempting to broaden the

programme;

economic base of the rural economy, SO1 seeks to

• Build upon market towns programmes as a

enhance inherent wealth generating capacity and

focus for services, culture and jobs;

employment opportunity, appropriate in scale and

• Facilitate regional HEI Rural Development Focus

nature to local circumstances, thereby reducing the

group;

exposure of such areas to external shocks.

Some proposals may require State Aids clearance by the European Commission.

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• Support arts events/venues to encourage and

SO2: Renew & Strengthen Sustainable

develop cultural tourism potential;

Recreation and Tourism

• Develop improved intelligence capabilities to

Rationale: The trends towards greater leisure, recreation and tourism suggest that such activities are

identify emerging and changing customer

likely to remain a long-term contributor to the rural

needs and preferences and new market

economy in the region. As such, it is imperative that

opportunities in rural areas; • Harness development and implementation of

the competitive position of regional tourism product be improved, enhanced and broadened to attract an

regional and sub-regional e-tourism strategies

increasing share of this growing market. SO2 is

to maximise benefit to the rural economy; • Reduce operator fragmentation through

designed to provide a generic framework within which partners can seek to achieve these ambitions while

development of more extensive operator

recognizing the interdependence between tourism and

networks; • Promote continuous product improvement

landscape and ensuring adherence to sustainability principles.

initiatives to enhance quality and skill standards

Actions:

and of operators; • Plan and coordinate for opportunities raised

• Coordinate action between partners to strengthen the regions competitive position as a

through the 2000 Countryside and Rights of

leisure and business tourist destination and

Way Act and the emergence of Local Access

counter seasonality;

Forums. • Ensure rural ‘gain’ from the Commonwealth

• Overseas marketing programme to restore

Games

image and renew overseas activity levels post FMD/September 11th;

SO3: Assisting the Restructuring of Agriculture

• Examine rural tourism product ‘branding’, promotion/re-launch opportunities/requirements

Rationale: The agricultural industry will experience

post FMD and strengthen existing marketing

significant structural change through the process of

partnerships/consortia;

trade liberalisation, expansion of the EU and probable reform of CAP. Downward pressure on farm incomes

• Design and development of ICT support structure for promotion of farm-based tourism

will continue and the sector will continue to

and recreational opportunities and interfacing

consolidate. With reducing income from traditional

with emerging national ICT systems;

farming, many of those wishing to retain involvement in agriculture will find it necessary to generate income

• Promote explicit inclusion of sustainability principles across all recreation and tourism

from a broader range of activities.

development projects;

SO3 is designed to assist an efficient and effective transition within agriculture, building upon existing

• Support high quality wildlife habitats to improve the landscape and tourism product and raise

structures, to enable improved efficiency,

the profile of eco-tourism;

environmentally friendly diversification appropriate to local circumstances and multifunctionality through

• Extend sustainable tourism related to cultural and heritage assets, wildlife, forestry, regional

agricultural business reviews, planning, diversification

parks and woodland and countryside sports;

and training. 38

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SO4: Enhancing the Competitiveness and

Actions:

Capability of Primary Agriculture

• Provision of environmentally friendly ‘diversification’ business support/development

Rationale: Maintaining agricultural land-use is

advice and/or intermediaries;

imperative, both for long-term protection of an essential resource and for management of an

• ‘Within’ agriculture diversification programme: ■

Non-food crops;

environment and landscape character with

■

Biomass/energy crops;

consequent effects on the attractiveness of the

■

Organic46;

countryside to mobile labour, potential investors and

■

Forestry;

visitors.

■

Stewardship;

■

Other agri-environment measures

Despite the range of commercial pressures that are expected to bear on the agricultural sector over the

• Beyond the farm gate agriculture diversification

next decade, large numbers of existing producers are

programme: Food processing/value-added capture/

likely to seek continued involvement in primary

producer groups;

agriculture. Long-term survival will require a process of

■

Building redevelopment/renewal;

continuous efficiency improvement and enhanced

■

Crafts/Light Industry/Professional Services;

competitiveness. SO4 is designed to assist primary

■

Countryside sports;

producers within the region to adapt to changing

■

Renewable energy;

circumstances and enhance their capability to

■

Farm Tourism;

compete.

■

• Assistance to identify and secure diversification Actions:

potential through targeted woodland creation

• Provision of agricultural business

and management programme;

support/development advice and/or

• Diversification training needs assessment and

intermediaries;

delivery;

• Establish best practice/benchmarking networks

• Training to support access to off-farm income

to ensure transfer of R&D findings and

opportunities;

technology developments;

• Promote more effective interface between

• Support for cooperatives/collaboration to

agricultural colleges/research and

reduce costs and improve sales efficiency;

experimentation groups and farming

• Facilitation advice/guidance to ensure access

community; • Targeting the special needs of upland farmers;

to, and enhance take-up of, available funding

• Development of the Planning Facilitation Service

support; • Develop ICT based infrastructures to assist

to promote proactive use of the planning

purchasing and sales efficiency;

system to deliver good quality and sustainable

• IT training and delivery;

development;

• Promotion of farming practices/solutions that 46

The three RDAs in the North of England – NWDA, One Northeast and Yorkshire Forward – have recently commiisioned a feasibility study into the need for a strategy to develop the organic sector in the North of England.

rural renaissance

promote economically and environmentally

■

sustainable systems of farming;

Small heritage, arts crafts and culture businesses;

SO5: Rural Skills Development Rationale: Workforce skills are vital to the

■

Creative industries sector;

■

Environmental enhancement;

Environmental sector growth47 ;

competitiveness of all businesses. The higher the ‘level’ of skills in the workforce of any area, the more

SO6: Development and Promotion of

capable will be that workforce in adopting and

Countryside Products

adapting new or innovative practices and processes

Rationale: The development and promotion of local

and the more likely that members of the workforce

countryside products offers significant potential for

may develop ‘spin-off’ technologies and contribute to

producers to establish differentiated brands, develop

the generation of new firm growth. SO5 is designed

new and alternative markets and generally add and

to ensure that the process of strengthening the

retain value locally. SO6 is designed to renew and

primary agriculture base, restructuring and

accelerate the potential benefits from such activities by

diversification within the rural economy, as well as the

assisting marketing and consumption of local products

broadening of the economic base, is supported by

that sustain the environmental and cultural heritage of

commensurate development of human capital.

the region.

Actions:

• Maintain and enhance farming/related skills to

• Support for local farmers markets;

ensure retention/attraction of key staff and

• Support economic collaboration amongst

develop primary agriculture efficiency;

farmers, especially smaller producers, to form

• Integrate training and ‘new-start’ initiatives to

and develop cooperatives;

ensure sufficient new entrants for maintenance

• Support community agricultural and ‘food

of farming systems essential to the future

futures’ programmes;

management of landscapes and habitats;

• Build upon existing fine food marketing

• Support skills upgrading/diversification in small

structures (North West Food Alliance) to

rural businesses alongside expansion of

promote produce both within and beyond the

management development, business mentoring

region;

and self-employment programmes;

• Implement the regional food strategy

• Targeting opportunities for IT training for

• Promote the procurement of local food

members of the farming community and those

products, within the preview of any prevailing

who may be forced to leave it due to economic

competition requirements, by public and private

restructuring;

organisations;

• Examine need for flexible learning centres and

• Build upon existing food and non-food

develop mobile learning facilities;

marketing structures to promote products both

• Targeted training to support: ■ 47

within and beyond the region and strengthen links with market towns/urban areas;

Tourism sector;

It is estimated that the sector supports 39,000 jobs and generates value added of some £1bn in the region – The Environmental Economy, ERM, 2000.

rural renaissance

• Increase awareness of sustainable building

• Support the development of non-food

practices;

products;

• Support environmental and access

• Provide marketing training within the local

enhancement programmes;

farming, food processing, craft and other product communities;

SO8: Delivering Social and community SO7: Sustaining the Environmental Inheritance

Regeneration

Rationale: Rural communities are custodians of an

Rationale: A growing volume of development research

environmental inheritance. Such has become the

and practice emphasises the role of social capital,

economic value of that inheritance that it is in the long-

community relations and very local organisations48 in

term interests of those communities to ensure

sustaining rural regeneration policies and programmes.

environmental sustainability. SO7 seeks to promote a

SO8 seeks to support the social infrastructure of rural

range of actions designed to ensure environmental

areas through maintenance of service infrastructure,

sustainability remains a key feature of all forms of

addressing particular forms of exclusion and

structural change and transition in rural economies.

invigorating support networks.

Actions:

• Encourage adoption of farming

• Retention of rural services infrastructure:

practices/solutions that promote economically

■

Working with local authorities and other

and environmentally sustainable systems of

bodies to maintain an appropriate service

farming;

infrastructure in rural areas;

• Dedicated whole farm business planning

• Overcoming financial and property/housing

support;

exclusion:

• Support a Woodland Rural Development

■

Programme;

Pilot Community & Asset Reinvestment Trust (CART) scheme;

• Support environmental conservation work which

• Rural Support Networks:

generates economic activity in its own right;

■

• Improve information and advice infrastructure to

Support and strengthen existing counselling services post FMD;

promote best practice in the design of

■

economic development proposals;

Voluntary sector support, development and integration to promote community

• Develop Integrated Land Management Service

empowerment;

building upon existing best practice within the

■

Capacity building;

region to secure land use policies that

■

Leadership and facilitation skills development;

safeguard and enhance landscape, habitats

• Support the development of rural credit unions

and biodiversity

• Support community and social enterprises;

• Review of countryside stewardship/ESA

• Support rural healthcare support infrastructure

schemes to investigate effectiveness and encourage take-up;

rural renaissance

• Support efforts to design and refine indicators

SO9: Strategic Actions

of rural advantage/disadvantage;

Rationale: Preparation of the Plan has identified a

• Examine the case for designation of rural

series of strategic actions that would contribute to the wider ambitions of the strategy, improving the efficacy

renewal fund counterpart to Neighbourhood

of proposals and support the recovery programme.

Renewal Fund; • Support a programme of research to address

Actions:

specified needs.

• Support review of CAP and investigate options to promote agri-environment mechanisms to

Rural Renaissance Actions and RES Themes

accelerate the process of change;

The Rural Renaissance actions outlined in section 7.5

• Investigate potential for RDR regional modulation flexibility and other incentives to promote

are designed to overcome the barriers to rural

diversification;

development identified in earlier sections of the report. The actions can also be viewed in the context of the

• Lobby for capital allowance incentives for

themes that underpin the Regional Economic Strategy.

purposes of diversification;

Table 7.1 provides a full cross-referencing of the

• Seek review of ERDP structures and operation

interactions.

as part of the interim evaluation process to ensure more appropriate mechanisms for delivering the ‘public goods’ of the countryside environment;

EG voluntary sector organisations, churches and congregations

rural renaissance

Table 7.1: Rural Renaissance Actions and RES Themes Business People & & Ideas Communities

Actions

Infrastructure

Image & Environment

•

SO1 - Broadening the Economic Base of Rural Areas Provisions of rural business/support development advice and/or intermediaries;

•

Develop rural enterprise support network comprising rural development officers with network managers;

•

Coordinate rural ICT strategy to incorporate infrastructure, training and e-commerce;

•

Continue support for ICT related investment in rural areas; Target opportunities for IT training both for members of the farming community and those who are being forced to leave it due to economic restructuring;

•

Continue reviewing emerging broadband technology capability and opportunities for rural connectivity;

•

Attract inward investment, of appropriate scale, focussing on rural potential in the area of environmental technology, remediation and related knowledge based industry sectors;

•

Facilitate rural business finance scheme;

•

Examine integrated transport options and promotion of the transport needs of rural communities within the Regional Transport Strategy;

•

Build upon recent workspace and new premises studies to promote relocation, inward investment and new starts;

•

Support a woodland rural development programme;

•

Build upon market towns programmes as a focus for services, culture and jobs;

•

Facilitate regional HEI Rural Development Focus group;

•

rural renaissance

•

• • •

Table 7.1: Rural Renaissance Actions and RES Themes (cont.) Actions

Business People & & Ideas Communities

Infrastructure

Image & Environment

SO2 – Renew and Strengthen Sustainable Recreation and Tourism Coordinate action between partners to strengthen the regions competitive position as a leisure and business tourist destination and counter seasonality;

•

Overseas marketing programme to restore image and renew overseas activity levels post FMD;

•

Examine rural tourism product ‘branding’, promotion/ re-launch opportunities/requirements post FMD and strengthen existing marketing partnerships/ consortia;

•

Design and development of ICT support structure for promotion of farm-based tourism and recreational opportunities and interfacing with emerging national ICT systems;

•

Promote explicit inclusion of sustainability principles across all recreation and tourism projects;

•

Support high quality wildlife habitats to improve the landscape and tourism product and the raise the profile of eco-tourism;

•

Extend sustainable tourism related to cultural and heritage assets, wildlife, forestry, regional parks and woodland and countryside sports;

•

Support arts events/venues to encourage cultural tourism potential;

•

Develop improved intelligence capabilities to identify emerging and changing customer needs and preferences and new market opportunities in rural areas;

•

Harness development and implementation of regional and sub-regional e-tourism strategies to maximise benefit to the rural economy;

•

Reduce operator fragmentation through development of more extensive operator networks;

•

Promote continuous product improvement initiatives to enhance quality and skill standards of operators;

•

Plan and coordinate for opportunities raised through the 2000 Countryside and Rights of Way Act and the emergence of Local Access Forums.

•

Ensuring rural ‘gain’ from the Commonwealth Games

•

rural renaissance

Table 7.1: Rural Renaissance Actions and RES Themes (cont.) Business People & & Ideas Communities

Actions

Infrastructure

Image & Environment

SO3 – Assisting the Restructuring of Agriculture Provision of environmentally friendly diversification business support/development advice and/or intermediaries;

•

Within agriculture diversification programme:

•

Beyond agriculture diversification programme:

•

Assistance to identify and secure diversification potential through targeted woodland creation and management programme

•

Diversification training needs assessment and delivery;

•

Training to support access to off-farm income opportunities;

•

• •

Promoting more effective interface between agricultural colleges/research and experimentation groups and farming community;

•

Targeting the special needs of upland farmers;

•

Development of the Planning Facilitation Service to promote proactive use of the planning system to deliver good quality and sustainable development;

•

Provision of agricultural business support/ development advice and/or intermediaries;

•

Establish best practice/benchmarking networks to ensure transfer of R&D findings and technology developments;

•

Support for cooperatives/collaboration to reduce costs and improve sales efficiency;

•

Facilitation advice/guidance to ensure access to, and enhance take-up of, available funding support;

•

Develop ICT based infrastructures to assist purchasing and sales efficiency;

•

IT training and delivery;

•

Promotion of farming practices/solutions that promote economically and environmentally sustainable systems of farming;

•

SO4 – Enhancing the Competitiveness and Capability of Primary Agriculture

rural renaissance

•

• •

Table 7.1: Rural Renaissance Actions and RES Themes (cont.) Actions

Business People & & Ideas Communities

Infrastructure

Image & Environment

SO5 – Rural Skills Development Integrate training and ‘new-start’ initiatives to ensure sufficient new entrants for maintenance of farming systems essential to the future management of landscapes and habitats;

•

Support skills upgrading/diversification in small rural businesses alongside expansion of management development, business mentoring and self employment programmes;

•

Targeting opportunities for IT training for members of the farming community and those who may be orced to leave it due to economic restructuring

•

Examine need for flexible learning centres and develop mobile learning facilities;

•

Targeted training to support tourism sector; small heritage, arts, crafts and culture businesses; environmental enhancement and environment sector;

•

SO6 – Development and Promotion of Countryside Products Support for local farmers markets;

•

Support economic collaboration amongst farmers, especially smaller producers, to form and develop cooperatives;

•

Support community agricultural and ‘food futures’ programmes;

•

Build upon existing food and non-food marketing structures to promote products both within and beyond the region; and strengthen links with market towns/urban areas

•

Implementing the regional food strategy

•

Promote the procurement of local food products, within the preview of any prevailing competition requirements, by public and private organisations;

•

Support non-food product development

•

Providing marketing training within the local farming and food processing communities;

•

• •

•

rural renaissance

Table 7.1: Rural Renaissance Actions and RES Themes (cont.) Business People & & Ideas Communities

Actions

Infrastructure

Image & Environment

SO7 – Sustaining the Rural Environmental Encourage adoption of farming practices/solutions that promote economically and environmentally sustainable systems of farming;

•

Dedicated whole farm business planning support;

•

Support Woodland Rural Development Programme;

•

Support environmental conservation work which generates economic activity in its own right;

•

Improve integration of rural environmental and community objectives building upon best practice within the region; Improve information and advice infrastructure to promote best practice in the design of economic development proposals;

•

Develop Integrated Land Management Service building upon existing best practice within the region to secure land-use policies that land-use policies that safeguard and enhance, landscape, habitats and biodiversity;

•

Review of countryside stewardship/ESA schemes to investigate effectiveness and encourage take-up;

•

Increase awareness of sustainable building practices

•

Support environmental and access enhancement programmes;

•

SO8 - Delivering Social and Community Regeneration Retention of rural services infrastructure:

•

Overcoming financial and property/housing exclusion:

•

Rural Support Networks; Support community and social enterprises

• •

•

Strengthen rural healthcare support infrastructure

•

Support development of rural credit unions

•

EG voluntary sector organisations, churches and congregations

rural renaissance

•

8. Costs, Funding and Impact Introduction

contributions have been assessed in the light of

This section contains an indicative funding and impact

emerging county plans and discussion with partners.

assessment of Action Plan proposals.

Table 8.2 details the assumed contribution from partners towards Rural Renaissance. With the

Cost and Funding Gap

emergence of the Single Financial Framework for

It is estimated that implementation of the Plan will cost

NWDA resources, contributions through the RDP,

some £389m, broken down across strategy

SRB and other budgets have been subsumed under

objectives as outlined in Table 8.1. Partner

the NWDA banner.

Table 8.1: Projected Costs and Funding Gap Strategic Objective

Projected Cost (£m)

Estimated Available Resource (£m)

Funding Gap (£m)

SO1 – Broadening the Economic Base

(15)

SO2 – Renew and Strengthening Tourism

(5)

113

SO4 – Enhancing Primary Agriculture

(1)

SO5 – Skills Development

(2)

SO6 – Countryside Products

(15)

116

113

389

390

(1)

SO3 – Assisting Restructuring of Agriculture

SO7 –Supporting Rural Environment SO8 – Social and Community Regeneration Total

The decision of NWDA to allocate additional resources

The potential economic impact of the plan, as a whole

equivalent to £77m above and beyond existing

and across each strategy objective, has been formally

commitments in the rural arena means that partner

examined using an economic impact model. This

contributions can broadly secure the estimated total

takes into account the nature of activity supported, the

resource required for delivery of the Plan. The

amount of resource available and standard benchmark

allocation of contributions across strategy objectives in

data to estimate gross additional GVA and

line with partner priorities, on the other hand, indicates

employment. Gross figures are adjusted to a net

a degree of mismatch between required and available

basis through a further assessment of deadweight,

funding. NWDA will review potential for adjusting its

displacement and multiplier analysis . The illustrative

expenditure profile across SOs in the light of this

employment and GVA impacts that are modelled to

outcome49.

arise from implementing the Strategy are summarised in Table 8.3.

Capacity to direct spending into certain SOs may be constrained by State Aids rules and regulations.

rural renaissance

Table 8.2: Indicative Partner Funding Profile (£m) TABLE

SO1

SO2

SO3

SO4

SO5

SO6

SO7

SO8

Total

ERDP/DEFRA50

5.0

4.3

7.1

2.4

1.1

5.2

96.0

1.5

122.6

Countryside Agency

5.5

8.0

0.0

0.2

0.0

0.2

2.8

5.0

21.7

Forestry Commission

7.3

0.0

3.6

1.2

0.0

3.6

0.0

15.7

County/District Authorities

0.6

5.4

1.2

0.0

0.6

8.4

LSCs

2.0

3.0

12.0

3.0

7.0

4.0

0.0

NWDA

34.4

10.4

18.3

2.9

2.2

22.2

8.8

0.9

100.1

English Nature

0.0

4.2

0.0

1.3

0.0

5.5

Objective 2

0.8

3.4

0.0

2.5

0.0

2.0

0.0

0.5

9.2

Objective 3

0.0

2.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

0.0

0.2

5.2

Leader+

1.3

0.0

0.3

5.9

0.0

8.8

Private Sector

3.5

10.4

33.1

0.2

1.3

2.0

0.0

50.5

SBS

3.0

0.0

2.0

0.0

Other

0.0

4.3

0.4

0.5

0.7

0.0

6.4

Total

63.4

52.5

79.9

15.9

14.4

42.2

113.1

8.7

390.1

This table does not cover every available funding stream and it is anticipated that other funding will be utilised for Rural Renaissance by partners wherever possiible.

Table 8.3: Projected Strategy Impacts Strategic Objective

Total Jobs

Safeguarded Jobs

New Jobs

SO1 – Broadening the Economic Base

4710

2310

2400

SO2 – Renew and Strengthen Tourism

2764

1398

1366

SO3 – Assisting Restructuring of Agriculture

3880

1995

1885

SO4 – Enhancing Primary Agriculture

958

511

447

SO5 – Skills Development

989

784

205

1126

835

291

SO7 – Sustaining Rural Inheritance

871

578

293

SO8 – Social and Community Regeneration

390

234

156

15688

8645

7043

SO6 – Countryside Products

Total

It is projected that implementation will result in creating/safeguarding 15,686 jobs. Tables 8.4 to 8.11 provide an overall summary of the Plan objectives with relevant cost, funding and impact outcomes, time profiles and determination of local/regional responsibility.

The ERDP represents the estimated full complement of ERDP resource over the horizon of the Plan. Much of this resource is demand-led and will require a 100% take-up to achieve spend levels.

rural renaissance

Table 8.4: SO1 - Broadening the Economic Base of Rural Areas

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Provision of rural business support/development advice and/or intermediaries

S,M,

Develop of rural enterprise support network - rural development officers with network managers

M,L

Coordinate rural ICT strategy to incorporate infrastructure, training and e-commerce

M,L

Continue support for ICT related investment in rural areas

M,L

Target opportunities for IT training both for members of the farming community and those who are being forced to leave it due to economic restructuring;

S,M

Attract inward investment, of appropriate scale, focusing on environmental technology, remediation and KBI

S,M

Facilitate rural business finance scheme

M,L

Examine integrated transport and promotion of the transport needs of rural communities within the Regional Transport Strategy;

M,L

Build upon recent workspace and new premises studies to promote relocation, inward investment and new starts

S,M

L/R

Support woodland rural development programme

M,L

Build upon market towns programme as a focus for services, culture and jobs

L/R

Facilitate regional HEI Rural Development Focus group

Continue reviewing emerging broadband technology capability and opportunities for rural connectivity

Primary Partners: DEFRA, Forestry Commission, County Councils, District Councils, LSCs, FEFC, NWDA, Private Sector, SBS Projected Costs (£m):

£48m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£63m

Funding Gap (£m):

£-15m

Indicative Impact: • 4,710 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 2,400 Jobs Created • 2,310 Jobs Safeguarded

• £166m Total Additional GVA • £85m New GVA • £81m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Securing a rural economy that is vibrant and diversified, that encourages enterprise and entrepreneurship and that offers long-term security for rural communities.

rural renaissance

Table 8.5: SO2 - Renew & Strengthen Tourism Product Offer

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Coordinated action to strengthen the regions competitive position as a leisure and business tourist destination and counter seasonality

S,M

Overseas marketing programme to restore image/ renew overseas activity levels post FMD

L/R

Examine rural tourism product ‘branding’, promotion/re-launch opportunities/requirements post FMD and strengthen existing marketing partnerships/consortia

S,M

Support high quality wildlife habitats to improve the tourism product and the raise the profile of eco-tourism;

M,L

Extend sustainable tourism related to cultural and heritage assets, wildlife, forestry, regional parks and woodland and countryside sports

M,L

Support arts events/venues to develop cultural tourism potential of arts projects

S,M

R/L

Develop improved intelligence capabilities to identify emerging customer needs and preferences and new market opportunities in rural areas

M,L

Harness development and implementation of regional and sub-regional e-tourism strategies to maximise benefit to the rural economy

M,L

R/L

Reduce operator fragmentation through development of more extensive operator networks

M,L

Promote continuous product improvement initiatives to enhance quality and skill standards of operators

S,M

Plan/ coordinate opportunities through Countryside Act and Local Access Forums

S,M

ICT support structure for rural tourism Promotion and development of farm-based tourism Promote inclusion of sustainability principles across all recreation and tourism projects

Ensuring rural ‘gain’ from the Commonwealth Games Primary Partners: DEFRA, Countryside Agency, County Councils, District Councils, FEFC, NWDA, Private Sector, Tourist Boards Projected Costs (£m):

£48m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£53m

Funding Gap (£m):

£-5m

Indicative Impact: • 2,764 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 1,366 Jobs Created • 1,398 Jobs Safeguarded

• £48m Total Additional GVA • £24m New GVA • £24m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Development of a quality, balanced, sustainable and ‘intelligent’ recreation, leisure and tourism sector that contributes to rural opportunity and prosperity while protecting valued landscapes and biodiversity

rural renaissance

Table 8.6: SO3 - Assisting the Restructuring of Agriculture

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Provision of environmentally friendly diversification business support/development advisors and/or intermediaries

S,M

Within agriculture diversification programme

M,L

Beyond the farm gate agriculture diversification programme:

M,L

R/L

Assistance to identify/secure diversification potential through targeted woodland creation/ management

S,M

Diversification training needs assessment and delivery;

S,M

Training to support access to off-farm income opportunities;

S,M

Promoting more effective interface between agricultural colleges/research and experimentation groups and farming community;

M,L

Targeting the needs of upland farmers

S,M

Development of the Planning Facilitation Service

S,M

Primary Partners: DEFRA, Forestry Commission, County Councils, District Councils, LSCs, FEFC, NWDA, English Nature, Private Sector, SBS Projected Costs (£m):

£113m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£80m

Funding Gap (£m):

£33m

Indicative Impact: • 3,879 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 1,885 Jobs Created • 1,995 Jobs Safeguarded

• £130m Total Additional GVA • £63m New GVA • £67m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Establishment of a broader-based, multifunctional and diversified agricultural sector that is economically sustainable, dynamic and adaptable

rural renaissance

Table 8.7: SO4: Enhancing the Competitiveness and Capability of Primary Agriculture

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Provision of agricultural business support/development advice and/or intermediaries;

S,M

Establish best practice/benchmarking networks to ensure transfer of R&D findings and technology developments;

S,M

Support for cooperatives/collaboration to reduce costs and improve sales efficiency;

S,M

Facilitation advice/guidance to ensure access to, and enhance take-up of, available funding support;

Develop ICT based infrastructures to assist purchasing and sales efficiency;

M,L

IT training and delivery;

S,M

Promotion of farming practices/solutions that promote economically and environmentally sustainable systems of farming;

M,L

Primary Partners: DEFRA, Forestry Commission, LSCs, FEFC, NWDA, Private Sector, SBS Projected Costs (£m):

£15m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£16m

Funding Gap (£m):

£-1m

Indicative Impact: • 958 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 447 Jobs Created • 511 Jobs Safeguarded

• £39m Total Additional GVA • £18m New GVA • £21m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Delivery of an efficient, technologically competitive primary producer base with a network support infrastructure that encourages and facilitates adaptation to change and enables effective maintenance of rural landscape and habitats

rural renaissance

Table 8.8: SO5 - Rural Skills Development

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Maintain and enhance farming related skills to ensure retention/attraction of key staff and develop primary agriculture efficiency;

S,M,L

Integrate training and ‘new-start’ initiatives to ensure sufficient new entrants for maintenance of arming systems essential to the future management of landscapes and habitats

S,M,L

Support skills upgrading/diversification in small rural businesses alongside expansion of management development, business mentoring and self employment programmes

S,M,

Targeting opportunities for IT training for members of the farming community and those who may be forced to leave it due to economic restructuring

S,M

Examine need for flexible learning centres and develop mobile learning facilities Targeted training to support tourism sector; small heritage, arts, crafts and culture businesses; environmental enhancement and environment sector Primary Partners: DEFRA, LSCs, FEFC, NWDA, Private Sector, Business Link Projected Costs (£m):

£12m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£14m

Funding Gap (£m):

£-2m

Indicative Impact: • 989 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 205 Jobs Created • 784 Jobs Safeguarded

• £26m Total Additional GVA • £5m New GVA • £6m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Ensuring that rural communities have the capacity to support the process of structural change as well as access and benefit form emerging opportunities

rural renaissance

Table 8.9: SO6 - Development and Promotion of Countryside Products

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Support for local farmers markets

M,l

Support economic collaboration amongst farmers, especially smaller producers, to form and develop cooperatives

M,L

Support community agricultural and ‘food futures’ programmes;

S,M

Building upon existing food and non-food marketing structures to promote produce both within and beyond the region

S,M

Implement the regional food strategy

M,L

Provide marketing training within the local farming and food processing communities

S,M

Promote the procurement of local food products, within the preview of any prevailing competition requirements, by public and private organisations Support the development of non-food products Primary Partners: DEFRA, Countryside Agency, LSCs, FEFC, NWDA, Private Sector, SBS Projected Costs (£m):

£27m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£42m

Funding Gap (£m):

£-15m

Indicative Impact: • 1,126 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 291 Jobs Created • 835 Jobs Safeguarded

• £42m Total Additional GVA • £11m New GVA • £31m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Development of a thriving countryside product sector with recognised and valued regional/sub-regional brands that contribute to rural integration and prosperity

rural renaissance

Table 8.10: SO7 – Sustaining the Rural Environment

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Encourage adoption of farming practices that promote economically and environmentally sustainable systems of farming

S,M

Whole farm business planning support

M,L

Support environmental conservation work which generates economic activity in its own right

S,M

Improve information and advice infrastructure to promote best practice in the design of economic development proposals

S,M

R/L

Support the development of Integrated Land Management Services

M,L

R/L

Review of countryside stewardship/ESA schemes to encourage take-up

S,M

Increase awareness of sustainable building practices

S,M

Support environmental and access enhancement programmes

M,L

Support woodland rural development programme

Primary Partners: DEFRA, Countryside Agency, Forestry Commission, County Councils, District Councils, NWDA, English Nature, Business Link Projected Costs (£m):

£116m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£113m

Funding Gap (£m):

£3m

Indicative Impact: • 871 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 293 Jobs Created • 578 Jobs Safeguarded

• £22m Total Additional GVA • £8m New GVA • £15m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Ensure that the values of diversity and distinctiveness of the countryside, landscape and habitats are recognised as a resource of intrinsic and exceptional value, and are to be safeguarded, preserved and protected for the benefit of future generations

rural renaissance

Table 8.11: SO8 – Delivering Social and Community Regeneration

Action Proposed

Time Profile

Local Region

Working with local authorities and other bodies to maintain an appropriate service infrastructure in rural areas

S,M

Pilot Community & Asset Reinvestment Trust (CART) scheme

S,M

Capacity building

Leadership and facilitation skills development

Support for community/social enterprises

S,M

Support the development of rural credit unions

S,M

R/L

Strengthen rural healthcare support infrastructure

S,M

Support and strengthen existing counselling services post FMD Voluntary sector support, development and integration to promote community empowerment

Primary Partners: DEFRA, Countryside Agency, County Councils, District Councils, NWDA, Business Link Projected Costs (£m):

£10m

Accessible Resource (£m):

£9m

Funding Gap (£m):

£1m

Indicative Impact: • 390 Jobs Created/Safeguarded • 234 Jobs Created • 156 Jobs Safeguarded

• £7m Total Additional GVA • £3m New GVA • £4m Safeguarded GVA Long-term Intervention Outcomes: Development of an infrastructure that supports and sustains rural communities, overcomes exclusion and underpins the economic regeneration of rural areas.

rural renaissance

9. Delivery and Implementation Arrangements and delivery of rural regeneration within the region.

Introduction The strategy outlined in earlier sections represents the framework within which NWDA and partners will seek

Alongside these objectives, it is evident that a range of

to instigate recovery of the rural economy. This

impending factors - change to CAP and expansion of

section focuses on envisaged arrangements for

the EU - have the potential to significantly alter the

delivery and implementation of the Plan over the

basis of agricultural support in rural areas. In this

course of the five-year period and covers organisation

context, it is imperative to develop delivery structures

and delivery, outputs, and monitoring and evaluation.

that:

Organisation and Delivery Arrangements

• Review the relevance, enhance actions and/or

The Rural Renaissance Plan is set in a rural policy

modify the ambitions and direction of the original

arena characterised by a patchwork of agencies and

strategy in the light of changing circumstances; • Ensure appropriate and efficient communication of

policies with differing remits, aims, spatial focus and funding structures. This results in constrained

strategy direction and performance both vertically

integration and coordination, network fragmentation,

and horizontally at all levels of the partnership; • Engage and inform existing and ‘new’ funding

overlap and ‘partnership creep’. It is intended that the Plan should not fall prey to similar difficulties but should

partners with regards to strategy progress and

act as a catalyst to improve rural regeneration policy in

performance; • Assess and seek to improve the efficiency and

its entirety through a series of key delivery objectives,

effectiveness of delivery arrangements; and

namely:

• Monitor progress of the Action Plan against targets. Finally, delivery structures must, at an everyday level:

• Operating to add value through improved

• Allow effective operating relationships between

cooperation, coordination and integration of existing agencies and partnerships/programmes as well as

agencies operating at spatial different levels –

influencing future development of policy;

national, regional, county, local; • Accommodate differing operational models sub-

• Merging significant additional resources with

regionally (eg the Cumbria RAZ);

existing activities to promote greater coherence

• Engage with existing rural policy infrastructure,

and synergy;

administration and partnership arrangements;

• Avoiding duplication and replication;

• Deliver effective management and accountability.

• Observing the principles of flexibility and subsidiarity enshrined in the strategy;

On the basis on these considerations, a desire to

• Showing commitment to the existing obligations

retain simplicity and respect for the principle of

and commitments of partner agencies; and

subsidiarity, the preferred delivery option for the Plan is

• Introducing a new ‘dynamic’ into the organisation 58

rural renaissance

that outlined in figure 9.1.

• Responding to wider proposed activities/policies that may influence rural development prospects within the region; • Endorse the strategic direction of county plans; and • Aim to become the primary mechanism for promoting future coordination and integration of rural regeneration activities;

County Bodies The County Bodies (at this point defined as the The basis of the delivery infrastructure is the

Cheshire Task Force, Cumbria Strategic Partnership

introduction of a Strategy Body to oversee

and Lancashire Rural Partnership) should, at county

implementation of the plan with delegation of delivery

level:

responsibility to county-based bodies.

• Provide an overarching framework for economic regeneration of rural areas; • Pursue ‘on-the-ground’ integration of all rural

The Strategy Body The Strategy Body should:

regeneration activities consistent with and

• Champion and oversee delivery of Rural

complementary to the Plan; • Take strategic responsibility for the activities and

Renaissance;

actions that will deliver the ambitions of the Plan;

• Be composed of all key bodies/agencies that operate to deliver rural policy or policies

introduce structures to ensure that community

complementary to rural development in and

representatives have agreed consultative

representatives from each of the county areas that

mechanisms for advocacy and policy

are operating to regenerate local rural economies;

direction;perform a scrutiny role through

• Meet a minimum of three times per annum;

assessment and monitoring of sub-regional delivery

• Have neither executive powers nor a resource

plan activities, progress and outcomes;

allocation role;

• Act to ensure that delivery vehicle structures:

• Oversee delivery of the Plan through an agreed

assume objectives/aims & powers consistent with

monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework;

the delivery of the Rural Renaissance programme;

• Act as an advisory body in:

adopt constitutions and responsibilities in line with the nature of proposed actions and consistent with

• Matters of Plan delivery/M&E that may consequently impact on resource allocation

any relevant and prevailing legislative

decisions taken by funding partners;

requirements;implement operating standards that are efficient, transparent and secure probity in the

• Reviewing the relevance, enhancing actions and/or modifying the ambitions and direction of

development progression of project activity; act to

the original strategy in the light of changing

ensure efficient and effective regeneration activity

circumstances; and

through development of a 5Yr overarching plan

rural renaissance

detailing proposed delivery structures, actions and

performance against targets, outputs and

their fit with both the Rural Renaissance Plan, other

accounts; and preparation of an annual business

initiatives, funding partners priorities, outputs and

plan setting out priorities, expected commitments

M&E arrangementsprovide progress/M&E reports

and outcomes.

along with an annual report to the SB; andreview the relevance, enhance actions and/or modify the

NWDA Role

ambitions and direction of the sub-regional strategy

NWDA may:

in the light of changing circumstances.

• operate, in conjunction with partners, to support and champion Rural Renaissance both within and

• County Delivery Vehicles

without the region through mechanisms such as:

The County Delivery Vehicles should:

promoting and referencing of the Plan in public

• assume responsibility for coordination, direction

debates/presentations concerned with rural policy

and funding of activity to secure overall delivery of

development; recognising and cross-referencing

their recovery programme;

the Plan in all relevant and appropriate corporate literature and forums; embedding the Plan within

• establish and implement procedures to ensure the effective coordination of such activity with other

the regional and sub-regional strategies; and

rural initiatives;

promotion of the Plan as a model of best practice. devolve/delegate responsibility for use of Agency

• influence and advise public and private sector agencies/organisations on policies and

resource in the delivery of the Plan with the

programmes in so far as they impact on rural

exception of projects that are designated as

regeneration;

regional and which will be managed directly from within the Agency; approve delegation only on the

• provide clear facilitation and signposting functions to ensure and secure access to resources

basis of proposals from the county bodies that are

available for rural regeneration;

‘fit for purpose’ in terms of criteria established to manage ‘single financial framework’ arrangements;

• provide innovation and leadership in the

• determine sub-spatial allocations and allocate

identification, design and development of projects;

resources directly to the body responsible for

• implement effective and robust monitoring mechanisms that comply with the M&E

delivery (to be determined as part of county

requirements of the County and Strategic Bodies;

proposals); • undertake independent interim and ex-post reviews

• assist development of delivery structures to

of Plan implementation and Progress; and

address issues/areas of need/opportunity for

• seek the advice of the SB with regard to

which existing infrastructure is weak;

• matters of Plan delivery and M&E;

• act to ensure efficient and effective regeneration

• reviewing the relevance, actions and direction

activity through:1Yr/3Yr delivery plans consistent with the sub-regional regeneration strategy;rolling

of the original strategy as a matter of course

forward delivery plans on an annual basis

and in the light of changing circumstances; and • any proposed activities/policies that may

throughout the period of the Plan;

influence rural development prospects within

• preparation of an annual report setting out

rural renaissance

the region;

framework contains a number of loops, which are

This broad structure secures the ‘best fit’ against

crucial to the evaluation process, namely:

requirements specified earlier. It is relatively simple, has clear lines of responsibility and accountability and

• efficiency – indicated by how well the resources

allows flexibility to ensure that lower level delivery

(inputs) are turned into outputs or results through

arrangements are appropriate to local areas.

the use of cost-effectiveness ratios; • effectiveness – indicated by measures of how far

Monitoring and Evaluation

interventions contribute to achieving the specified

Establishing an appropriate framework for the on-going

objectives;

monitoring and interim/ex-post evaluations of the

• sustainability – indicated by the extent to which

Strategy will be essential to ensure that it remains

benefits can be expected to last once the

relevant, achieves its objectives and offers good value

programme ends.

for money. This section outlines an M&E framework for the Plan that reflects: • the range of actions supported; • emerging RDA M&E requirements; and • initial proposals for ‘single-pot’ project applications.

In designing the framework, consideration has been given to ensuring that the process: • reflects the nuances of the strategy with its focus on revitalising rural economies and adding value through co-ordination, co-operation and integration;

The approach to be adopted seeks to examine the

• uses relevant and robust indicators – M&E will only

profile of the Plan as outlined in the figure through a

be of value if indicators are relevant, timely,

combination of both bottom–up/micro analysis of

comparable and verifiable;

projects and top-down/macro analysis of secondary

• informs on progress through comparisons of

indicators.

performance against expectations and against

The bottom-up approach involves reviewing inputs,

targets; and

outputs, results and impacts associated with individual

• is cost effective.

projects. It will be based upon detailed project-level information and analyses. The top-down analysis will

The M&E Framework

consider changes in a limited number of strategic

The framework for evaluation is outlined in Figure 9.251

indicators and assesses the extent to which changes

with strategy objectives, defined on the basis of need,

in these indicators can be attributed to the Plan. Both

determining the range of inputs required to support

will be carried-out by county bodies for actions over

actions and activities. The latter effect a series of

which they have delegated responsibility and by

outputs and produce a range of results/impacts. The

NWDA in the case of regional projects.

Adapted from the MEANS framework of the European Commission.

rural renaissance

One of the key elements of the evaluation framework

Indicator Contribution Profiles

will be consideration of the additionality of the activities

Rural Renaissance sits within the overall context of the

supported through assessment of deadweight,

regional strategy. It is important therefore that links are

displacement, substitution and multiplier effects. All

drawn between the two and that the contribution of

sponsored projects should seek to examine gross and

the latter to the former can be determined. Tables 9.9

net additional impacts both ex-ante and ex-post as

to 9.16 take all of the M&E indicators within the Plan

part of final evaluation considerations.

and examine their role in terms of whether they: • contribute to NWDA Targets:

Implementing the M&E Framework

• Tier 1 (state of the region targets);

The Plan specifies a series of strategic objectives

•

Tier 2 (outcome targets); and

based on an analysis of rural economy needs and a

•

Tier 3 (output targets).

range of actions designed to address such needs.

• are additional targets set within the context of the

Effective management and delivery, along with the

Plan and not formally an element of the NWDA

evaluation framework, requires a coherent framework

M&E framework; and • are included primarily to assist monitoring and

of output and outcome indicators to be established at

evaluation.

the outset. Tables 9.1 to 9.8 outline a range of baseline and monitoring indicators, for each strategy objective, that will form the basis of the M&E Framework. Each indicator is referenced to an appropriate action and, where indicated, will also need to be examined in terms of contribution to market town regeneration. Assessment of the position of the rural economy across these sets of indicators will be examined through an independent baseline study commissioned by NWDA.

rural renaissance

Table 9.1: SO1 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO1 - Broadening the Economic Base of Rural Areas Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A1.1 Provisions of rural business/support development advice and/or intermediaries;

Number/proportion of VAT registered ag/non-agricultural business stock (1.1- 1.13)

A1.2 Develop rural enterprise support network comprising rural development officers with network managers;

VAT reg/deregistration rates for ag/non-agricultural businesses (1.1- 1.13)

A1.3 Coordinate rural ICT strategy to incorporate infrastructure, training and e-commerce;

New agricultural/non-agricultural businesses starts (1.1- 1.13)*

A1.4 Continue support for ICT related investment in rural areas;

Business survival rates for agricultural/non-agricultural businesses (1.1- 1.13)

A1.5 Target opportunities for IT training both for members of the farming community and those who are being forced to leave it due to economic restructuring;

Employment base and employment growth in rural areas (1.1- 1.13) Number of businesses advised on ICT (1.3,1.4)

A1.6 Continue reviewing emerging broadband technology capability and opportunities for rural connectivity;

Number of businesses trading electronically (1.3,1.4) Number/growth of ICT related business (1.3, 1.4)

A1.7 Attract inward investment, of appropriate scale, focussing on rural potential in the area of environmental technology, remediation and related knowledge based industry sectors;

Number/growth of ICT related employment (1.3, 1.4) ICT training beneficiaries &Number/level pf NVQ qualifications(1.5)

A1.8 Facilitate rural business finance scheme;

Volume & value of relocation/inward investment (1.7)

A1.9 Examine integrated transport options and promotion of the transport needs of rural communities within the Regional Transport Strategy;

Volume & value of inward investment in env technology, remediation and related KBIs (1.7) Rural businesses accessing venture finance (1.8)

A1.10 Build upon recent workspace and new premises studies to promote relocation, inward investment and new starts;

Accessibility levels of Rural Areas (1.9)

A1.11 Support a woodland rural development programme;

M2 of office/manufacturing/warehouse workspace available (1.10)*

A1.12 Build upon market towns programmes as a focus for services, culture and jobs;

M2 of new/renovated office/manufacturing/warehouse workspace (1.10)*

A1.13 Facilitate regional HEI Rural Development Focus group;

Additional Ha of woodland/forestry (1.11) Number of Market town health checks/Action Plans (1.12) Employment base and employment growth (1.12)* VAT registration/deregistration rates for ag/non-agricultural businesses in market towns (1.12) New agricultural/non-agricultural businesses starts in market towns (1.12) GVA created/safeguarded (1.1-1.13)* Jobs created/safeguarded (1.1- 1.13)*

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Table 9.2: SO2 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Renew and Strengthen Sustainable Recreation and Tourism Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions

A2.1 Coordinate action between partners to strengthen the Volume/growth of domestic/overseas visitors/spend to/in regions competitive position as a leisure and business rural areas (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) tourist destination and counter seasonality; Stock/growth of VAT registered tourism/leisure businesses A2.2 Overseas marketing programme to restore image (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) and renew overseas activity levels post FMD; VAT registration/deregistration rates for tourism/leisure A2.3 Examine rural tourism product â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;brandingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, businesses (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) promotion/re-launch opportunities/requirements post FMD New tourism/leisure business starts* (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) and strengthen existing marketing partnerships/consortia; Volume/growth of tourism/leisure related employment (2.1, A2.4 Design and development of ICT support structure for 2.2, 2.3) promotion of farm-based tourism and recreational opportunities and interfacing with emerging national ICT Membership of ICT linked farm-based tourism network systems; (2.4) A2.5 Promote explicit inclusion of sustainability principles across all recreation and tourism projects;

Volume/growth in farm based tourism visitors (2.1, 2.4) Number of farm business advised/assisted/started* (2.1, 2.4)

A2.6 Support high quality wildlife habitats to improve the landscape and tourism product and the raise the profile of eco-tourism;

Volume/growth in farm based tourism beds/bednights (2.1, 2.4)

A2.7 Extend sustainable tourism related to cultural and heritage assets, wildlife, forestry, regional parks and woodland and countryside sports;

Ha of quality habitats (2.5, 2.6, 2.7) Additional Ha of quality habitats (2.5, 2.6, 2.7) Visitor numbers/Ha of quality habitats (2.5, 2.6, 2.7)

A2.8 Support arts events/venues to encourage cultural tourism potential;

Number of cultural/creative industry start-ups* (2.8)

A2.9 Develop improved intelligence capabilities to identify emerging and changing customer needs and preferences and new market opportunities in rural areas;

Volume/growth in heritage attraction visitors/income (2.8) Number/Attendance of/at arts/events & venues (2.8) Size & membership of operator networks (2.11)

A2.10 Harness development and implementation of regional and sub-regional e-tourism strategies to maximise benefit to the rural economy;

Number & proportion of quality assured provider network (2.12)

A2.11 Reduce operator fragmentation through development of more extensive operator networks;

No of tourism/leisure businesses assisted (2.11)

A2.12 Promote continuous product improvement initiatives to enhance quality and skill standards of operators; A2.13 Plan and coordinate for opportunities raised through the 2000 Countryside and Rights of Way Act and the emergence of Local Access Forums.

No of tourism/leisure businesses assisted to use ICT in marketing/promotion (2.9) Proportion of tourism/leisure businesses linked to integrated database/network (2.10) GVA created/safeguarded (2.1-2.13)* Jobs created/safeguarded (2.1-2.13)*

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Table 9.3: SO3 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Assisting the Restructuring of Agriculture Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A3.1 Provision of environmentally friendly diversification business support/development advice and/or intermediaries;

No of farm businesses assisted through diversification support (3.1) Number/proportion of farm businesses assisted pursuing diversification activities within agriculture (3.2)

A3.2 Within agriculture diversification programme: A3.3 Beyond agriculture diversification programme:

Number/proportion of farm businesses assisted pursuing diversification activities outside agriculture (3.3)

A3.4 Assistance to identify and secure diversification potential through targeted woodland creation and management programme

Number of whole farm plans completed (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)

Number/value of renewable energy projects supported A3.5 Diversification training needs assessment and delivery; (3.2, 3.3) A3.6 Training to support access to off-farm income opportunities;

Mw of renewable energy generated (3.2, 3.3) Number/growth of organic farm registrations (3.1, 3.2)

A3.7 Promoting more effective interface between agricultural colleges/research and experimentation groups and farming community;

Diversified income as a proportion of total farm household income (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)

A3.8 Targeting the special needs of upland farmers;

% of income derived from non-farming sources (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)

A3.9 Development of the Planning Facilitation Service to promote proactive use of the planning system to deliver good quality and sustainable development;

% of income derived from off-farming sources (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) % growth in supported farm turnover/incomes (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) Additional Ha of woodland/forestry through diversification support (3.4) Number of diversification needs assessments undertaken (3.5) Number of farm workers undertaking training for alternative careers (3.6) % of farm workers training for alternative careers gaining employment (3.6) No of upland farm businesses assisted (3.8) Number/proportion of upland farm businesses assisted acting on advice Number of cases supported via the Planning Facilitation Service (3.9) % of positive outcomes delivered via the Planning Facilitation Service (3.9) GVA created/safeguarded (3.1-3.9) Jobs created/safeguarded (3.1-3.9)

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Table 9.4: SO4 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Enhancing the Competitiveness and Capability of Primary Agriculture Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A4.1 Provision of agricultural business support/development advice and/or intermediaries;

GVA contribution of primary agriculture (4.1-4.7) Net profitability of farming businesses (4.1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4.7)

A4.2 Establish best practice/benchmarking networks to ensure transfer of R&D findings and technology developments;

No of farm operations assisted to develop primary agriculture business (4.1) Number/proportion of farm businesses assisted acting on advice (4.1)

A4.3 Support for cooperatives/collaboration to reduce costs and improve sales efficiency; A4.4 Facilitation advice/guidance to ensure access to, and enhance take-up of, available funding support; A4.5 Develop ICT based infrastructures to assist purchasing and sales efficiency;

% growth in supported farm turnover/incomes (4.1) Number and membership levels of best practice/benchmarking networks (4.2) Number/size of cooperatives/collaborations supported (4.3)

A4.6 IT training and delivery;

Volume/value of cooperative/collaboration activity (4.3)

A4.7 Promotion of farming practices/solutions that promote economically and environmentally sustainable systems of farming;

Number of applicants assisted/facilitated to secure funding support (4.4) Establishment/participation levels of ICT purchasing/sales infrastructure (4.5) Number of applicants facilitated ro secure funding support (4.4) Number of workers in primary agriculture undertaking IT training (4.6) % of workers using IT in farm operations (4.6) Number of demonstration farms for economic/environmentally sustainable farming (4.7) Visitor levels at economic/environmentally sustainable farms (4.7) Establishment/membership of best practice/benchmarking networks for economic/environmentally sustainable farming (4.7) GVA created/safeguarded (4.1-4.7) Jobs created/safeguarded (4.1-4.7)*

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Table 9.5: SO5 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO5 – Rural Skills Development Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A5.2 Support skills upgrading/diversification in small rural businesses alongside expansion of management development, business mentoring and self employment programmes;

Skills/qualifications of rural area/market town residents (5.1 – 5.5)* Qualification performance and achievements (5.1 – 5.5)* FE/HE access rates (5.1 – 5.5)*

A5.3 Targeting opportunities for IT training for members of the farming community and those who may be forced to leave it due to economic restructuring

Working age persons receiving job-related training (5.1-5.5)*

A5.4 Examine need for flexible learning centres and develop mobile learning facilities; A5.5 Targeted training to support tourism sector; small heritage, arts, crafts and culture businesses; environmental enhancement and environment sector;

Number of beneficiaries receiving reskilling/upskilling support, & number of training weeks, to enhance sustainability of primary agriculture businesses (5.1)* Number of beneficiaries receiving reskilling/upskilling support & number of training weeks to enhance landscape/habitat management skills (5.1)* Number of primary agriculture ‘new start’ entrants from the North West (5.1) Number of training beneficiaries from, & number of training weeks to, small rural businesses (5.2)* Number of SMEs supported through management development/ mentor schemes (5.2)* Numbers assisted to pursue self-employment (5.2)* Numbers accessing mobile-learning facilities (5.4)* Heritage/arts/craft/culture beneficiaries/training weeks (5.5)* ICT training beneficiaries/training weeks (cross-reference SO1) (5.3, 5.5)* Tourism/leisure training beneficiaries/training weeks (5.5)* Woodland/habitat training beneficiaries/training weeks (5.5)* Number of farm workers training for alternative careers (cross reference SO3) (5.5)* % of farm workers training for alternative careers gaining employment (cross reference SO3 (5.5)* Number of workers in primary agriculture undertaking IT training (cross reference SO4) (5.3)* GVA created/safeguarded (5.1-5.5)* Jobs created/safeguarded (5.1-5.5)* % of 16-19 year olds in full time education % of working age people with NVQ 3 or above % of working age people in job related training number of farmers receiving training new training facilities

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Table 9.6: Plan SO6 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Development and Promotion of Countryside Products Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A6.1 Support for local farmers markets;

Volume/value of countryside product/produce (6.1-6.8)

A6.2 Support economic collaboration amongst farmers, especially smaller producers, to form and develop cooperatives;

% growth in volume/value of countryside product/produce (6.1-6.8) Membership levels of branding networks (6.4, 6.8)

A6.3 Support community agricultural and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;food futuresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; programmes;

Number of local farmers markets supported (6.2) Number/size of cooperatives/collaborations supported (cross reference SO4) (6.2)

A6.4 Build upon existing food and non-food marketing structures to promote products both within and beyond the region; and strengthen links with market towns/ urban areas

Volume/value of cooperative/collaboration activity (cross reference SO4) (6.2)

A6.5 Implementing the regional food strategy

Number of new retail farm/non-farm produce/product outlets supported/established

A6.6 Promote the procurement of local food products, within the preview of any prevailing competition requirements, by public and private organisations;

Number of craft businesses advised/assisted/started (6.4) Volume/value/growth of activity in supported retail outlets/food futures activities (6.3)

A6.7 Providing marketing training within the local farming and food processing communities;

Volume/value of new sales to public sector purchasers (eg NHS) (6.6)

A6.8 Support development of non-food countryside products

Number of marketing/promoting beneficiaries trained (6.7) GVA created/safeguarded (6.1-6.8) Jobs created/safeguarded (6.1-6.8)

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Table 9.7: SO7 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sustaining the Environmental Inheritance Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A7.1 Encourage adoption of farming practices/solutions that promote economically and environmentally sustainable systems of farming; A7.2 Dedicated whole farm business planning support;

Number of farms advised with regard to economically/sustainable farming options (7.1) % of advised farms pursing actions (7.1)

A7.3 Support Woodland Rural Development Programme;

Number of whole farm plans completed (cross reference SO3) (7.2)

A7.4 Support environmental conservation work which generates economic activity in its own right;

Additional Ha of woodland/forestry (cross reference SO2) (7.3)

A7.5 Improve integration of rural environmental and community objectives building upon best practice within the region;

Additional Ha of broad habitats (7.4, 7.7) Km of new/restored hedgerows (7.4, 7.5, 7.7) Km of new/restored dry-stone walls (7.4, 7.5, 7.7)

A7.6 Improve information and advice infrastructure to promote best practice in the design of economic development proposals;

Km of rights of way made accessible (7.4, 7.5, 7.7) Km rights of way improved (7.4, 7.5, 7.7)

A7.7 Develop Integrated Land Management Service building upon existing best practice within the region to secure land-use policies that safeguard and enhance, landscape, habitats and biodiversity;

Km of cycleway added/improved (7.4, 7.5, 7.7) % take-up of CS/ESA schemes (7.8) Mw of renewable energy generated (7.1)

A7.8 Review of countryside stewardship/ESA schemes to investigate effectiveness and encourage take-up; A7.9 Increase awareness of sustainable building practices

Establishment/membership of best practice/benchmarking networks for sustainable building practices (7.9) Number/%of planning applications supported by presubmission advice on building (7.9)

A7.10 Support environmental and access enhancement programmes;

GVA created/safeguarded (7.1-7.10) Jobs created/safeguarded (7.1-7.10)*

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Table 9.8: SO8 Baseline/Monitoring Indicators SO8 - Delivering Social and Community Regeneration Potential Baseline/Monitoring Indicators (* Market Towns to be identified)

Actions A8.1 Retention of rural services infrastructure: A8.2 Overcoming financial and property/housing exclusion:

Access to Post Offices/Food Shops/Banks/Primary Schools (8.1) Public transport coverage (8.1)

A8.3 Rural Support Networks;

Establishment/Number of Rural CART schemes (8.2)

A8.4 Support community and social enterprises

Numbers of individuals/families supported through CART schemes (8.2)

A8.5 Strengthen rural healthcare support infrastructure A8.6 Support development of rural credit unions

Number of rural credit unions established (8.2) Membership of rural credit unions (8.2) Capacity building training beneficiaries (8.3) Leadership/facilitation skills training beneficiaries (8.3) Number of social/community enterprises supported (8.4) % growth in employment/turnover for social/community enterprises (8.4) New social/community enterprises starts (8.4) Survival rates for social/community enterprises (8.4) Access to GP/healthcare services (8.5) GVA created/safeguarded (8.1-8.6) Jobs created/safeguarded (8.1-8.6)*

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Table 9.9: SO1 Indicator Role (* Market Towns to be identified) SO1 - Broadening the Economic Base of Rural Areas

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Additional

M&E

Number/proportion of VAT registered agricultural/non-agricultural business stock

VAT registration/deregistration rates for agricultural/ non-agricultural businesses

New agricultural/non-agricultural businesses starts*

Business survival rates for agricultural/ non-agricultural businesses

Number/growth of ICT related business

Number/growth of ICT related employment

Number of businesses advised on ICT

Number of businesses trading electronically

ICT training beneficiaries

Number/level of NVQ qualifications gained in ICT

Volume & value of relocation/inward investment

Volume & value of inward investment in env. Technology/ remediation/ related KBI sectors

Rural businesses accessing venture capital

Accessibility levels of Rural Areas

M2 of office/manufacturing/warehouse workspace available*

M2 of new/renovated office/manufacturing/warehouse workspace renovated*

Ha of woodland/forestry

Number of market town health checks/Action Plans

Employment base and employment growth in market towns

VAT registration/deregistration rates for agricultural/ non-agricultural businesses in market towns

New agricultural/non-agricultural businesses starts in market towns

Jobs safeguarded*

Jobs created*

GVA safeguarded*

GVA created*

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Table 9.10: SO2 Indicator Role (* Market Towns to be identified) SO2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Renew and Strengthen Sustainable Recreation and Tourism

Tier 1

Tier 2

Volume/growth of domestic/overseas visitors/spend to rural areas

Tier 3

Additional

M&E

Stock/growth of VAT registered tourism/leisure businesses

VAT registration/deregistration rates for tourism/ leisure businesses

New tourism/leisure business starts*

Volume/growth of tourism/leisure related employment

Volume/growth in farm based tourism visitors

Membership of ICT linked farm-based tourism network

Number of farm business advised/assisted/started

Volume/growth in farm based tourism beds/bednights

Ha of quality habitats

Additional Ha of quality habitats

Visitor numbers/Ha of quality habitats

Number of cultural/creative industry start-ups*

Volume/growth in heritage attraction visitors/income

Number/Attendance of/at arts/events & venues

Size & membership of operator networks

Number & proportion of quality assured provider network

Number of tourism/leisure businesses assisted

Number of tourism/leisure businesses assisted to use ICT in marketing/promotion

Proportion of tourism/leisure businesses linked to integrated database network

Jobs safeguarded*

Jobs created*

GVA safeguarded*

GVA created*

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Table 9.11: SO3 Indicator Role SO3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Assisting the Restructuring of Agriculture

Tier 1

Tier 2

No of farm businesses assisted through diversification support

Tier 3

Additional

M&E

Number/proportion of farm businesses assisted pursuing diversification activities within agriculture

Number/proportion of farm businesses assisted pursuing diversification activities outside agriculture

Number of whole farm plans completed

Number/growth of organic farm registrations

Number/Value of renewable energy projects supported

Mw of renewable energy generated

Diversified income as a proportion of total farm household income

% of income derived from non-farming sources

% of income derived from off-farming sources

% growth in supported farm turnover/incomes

Number of farm workers undertaking training for alternative careers

Additional Ha of woodland/forestry through diversification support

X X

% of farm workers training for alternative careers gaining employment

Number of diversification needs assessments undertaken

No of upland farm businesses assisted

Number/proportion of upland farm businesses assisted acting on advice

Number of cases supported via the Planning Facilitation Service

% of positive outcomes delivered via the Planning Facilitation Service

Jobs safeguarded

Jobs created

GVA safeguarded

GVA created

rural renaissance

Table 9.12: SO4 Indicator Role SO4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Enhancing the Competitiveness and Capability of Primary Agriculture

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Additional

M&E

GVA Contribution of Primary Agriculture

Net Profitability of Farming businesses

No of farm operations assisted to develop primary agriculture business

Number/proportion of farm businesses assisted acting on advice

% growth in supported farm turnover/incomes

Number and membership levels of best practice/ benchmarking networks

Number/size of cooperatives/collaborations supported

Volume/value of cooperative/collaboration activity

Establishment/participation levels of ICT purchasing/ sales infrastructure

Number of applicants assisted/facilitated to secure funding support

Number of workers in primary agriculture undertaking IT training

% of workers using IT in farm operations

Number of demonstration farms for economic/environmentally sustainable farming

Visitor levels at economic/environmentally sustainable farming

Establishment/membership of best practice/benchmarking networks for economic/environmentally sustainable farming

Jobs safeguarded

Jobs created

GVA safeguarded

GVA created

rural renaissance

Table 9.13: SO5 Indicator Role (* Market Towns to be identified) SO5 – Rural Skills Development Skills/qualifications of working age persons*

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Additional

M&E

Qualification performance and achievements*

FE Education Participation (16-19 Years)*

FE/HE access rates*

Working age persons receiving job-related training*

Number of beneficiaries receiving reskilling/upskilling support to enhance sustainability of primary agriculture businesses

Number of beneficiaries receiving reskilling/upskilling support to enhance landscape/habitat management skills

Number of primary agriculture ‘new start’ entrants from the North West

Number of training beneficiaries from small rural businesses*

Number of SMEs supported through management development/business mentor schemes*

X X

Numbers assisted to pursue self-employment*

Numbers accessing mobile-learning facilities*

Heritage/arts/craft/culture training beneficiaries*

Training beneficiaries in ICT, Tourism/leisure, Woodland/habitat, alternative careers, Capacity building, Leadership/facilitation, marketing/promoting (cross-reference SO1, SO2, SO3, SO6, SO8)*

Jobs safeguarded*

Jobs created*

GVA safeguarded*

GVA created*

rural renaissance

Table 9.14: SO6 Indicator Role SO6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Development and Promotion of Countryside Products

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Additional

M&E

Volume/value of countryside product/produce

% growth in volume/value of countryside product/produce

Membership levels of branding networks

Number of local farmers markets supported

Number/size of cooperatives/collaborations supported (cross reference SO4)

Volume/value of cooperative/collaboration activity (cross reference SO4)

Number of new retail farm/non-farm produce/product outlets supported/established

Number of craft businesses advised/assisted/started

Volume/value/growth of activity in supported retail outlets/food futures activities Number of marketing/promoting beneficiaries trained

X X

Volume/value of new sales to public sector purchasers (eg NHS)

X X

Jobs safeguarded

Jobs created

GVA safeguarded

GVA created

rural renaissance

Table 9.15: SO7 Indicator Role SO7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sustaining the Environmental Inheritance

Tier 1

Tier 2

Number of farms advised with regard to economically/ sustainable farming options

Tier 3

Additional

% of advised farms pursing actions

Number of whole farm plans completed (cross reference SO3)

Additional Ha of woodland/forestry (cross reference SO1)

Additional Ha of quality habitats (cross reference SO2)

Km of new/restored hedgerows

Km of new/restored dry-stone walls

Km of rights of way made accessible

Km rights of way improved

Km of cycleway added/improved

Number/Value of renewable energy projects supported

Mw of renewable energy generated (cross reference SO3)

% take-up of CS/ESA schemes

Establishment/membership of best practice/benchmarking networks for sustainable building practices

Number/%of planning applications supported by pre-submission advice on building

Jobs safeguarded

Jobs created

GVA safeguarded

GVA created

rural renaissance

M&E

Table 9.16: SO8 Indicator Role SO8 - Delivering Social and Community Regeneration

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Additional

Access to Post Offices/Food Shops/Banks/Primary Schools (cross reference SO1)

Public transport coverage

Establishment/Number of Rural CART schemes

Numbers of individuals/families supported through CART schemes

Capacity building training beneficiaries

Number of rural credit unions established

Membership of rural credit unions

Leadership/facilitation skills training beneficiaries

Number of social/community enterprises supported

% growth in employment/turnover for social/community enterprises

New social/community enterprises starts

Survival rates for social/community enterprises

M&E

Jobs safeguarded

Jobs created

GVA safeguarded

GVA created

Access to GP/healthcare services

rural renaissance

rural

renaissance The Regional Rural Recovery Plan

Renaissance House PO Box 37 Centre Park Warrington WA1 1XB Telephone: 01925 400 100 Facsimile: 01925 400 400 www.nwda.co.uk www.englandsnorthwest.com e-mail: information@nwda.co.uk