Durham Rural Community Council
Modernising rural delivery in the north east
The Modernising Rural Delivery Working Group at Government Office North East has produced an information note on national and regional developments which have occured as part of the Modernising Rural Delivery initiative.
It includes information about a series of seminars in the region during May, which will give updates and background on the initiative. One of these events will take place in County Durham, although details are yet to be finalised.
Defra’s Rural Strategy 2004 sets out an agenda for modernising rural delivery in England which will see:
§ Streamlined funding and support for rural areas
§ Decision-making and delivery devolved to the most local level
§ Greater focus on the customer
§ Streamlining of organisations involved in delivery
National changes
At national level, responsibilities of the Countryside Agency have been passed on to other bodies, with its socio-economic funding streams being transferred to the Regional Development Agencies, and responsibility for the Rural Community Councils devolved to the Government Offices in the Regions.
Part of the Countryside Agency that deals with land, access and recreation issues; most of Defra’s Rural Development Service and all of English Nature will form a new national Agency – Natural England - in October 2006. The new agency’s key responsibility will be natural resource management.
Defra’s project-based schemes – the Rural Enterprise Scheme; the Vocational Training Scheme; and the Processing Marketing Grant – will close in June this year. All contracts running under these schemes will be transferred to the management of One NorthEast. A new England Rural Development Programme will be developed later this year and launched in January 2007. One NorthEast and Natural England will be responsible for the implementation of the programme in the North East.
In addition, a national Commission for Rural Communities has been established. This body will act as a voice for rural communities, particularly those suffering from disadvantage. It will report on progress with delivery and act as an impartial advisor to Government on rural community issues. It has no regional presence but two of its staff members do work with North East regional partners.
§ Streamlined funding and support for rural areas
§ Decision-making and delivery devolved to the most local level
§ Greater focus on the customer
§ Streamlining of organisations involved in delivery
National changes
At national level, responsibilities of the Countryside Agency have been passed on to other bodies, with its socio-economic funding streams being transferred to the Regional Development Agencies, and responsibility for the Rural Community Councils devolved to the Government Offices in the Regions.
Part of the Countryside Agency that deals with land, access and recreation issues; most of Defra’s Rural Development Service and all of English Nature will form a new national Agency – Natural England - in October 2006. The new agency’s key responsibility will be natural resource management.
Defra’s project-based schemes – the Rural Enterprise Scheme; the Vocational Training Scheme; and the Processing Marketing Grant – will close in June this year. All contracts running under these schemes will be transferred to the management of One NorthEast. A new England Rural Development Programme will be developed later this year and launched in January 2007. One NorthEast and Natural England will be responsible for the implementation of the programme in the North East.
In addition, a national Commission for Rural Communities has been established. This body will act as a voice for rural communities, particularly those suffering from disadvantage. It will report on progress with delivery and act as an impartial advisor to Government on rural community issues. It has no regional presence but two of its staff members do work with North East regional partners.
