Natural England

Agenda for the 25th Meeting of the Countryside Agency

1. Apologies for absence

2. Chairman to sign minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2001

3. MATTERS ARISING REPORT 13 DECEMBER MEETING

This paper updates the Board on action taken as a result of decisions from previous Board meetings and progress made on those issues. 

4. Future management of National Trails (AP01/49)

In May, the Board agreed to establish a special new Trust to oversee management of the National Trail network. This paper provides further details and seeks Board agreement to progress to the next stage. The paper suggests the Trust should be an 'arms length body' receiving long term financial support from the Agency to promote, develop and enhance National Trails in England and seek opportunities for new regional trails. It also proposes a consultation process with highway authorities, other partners and DEFRA. It is suggested that sponsorship and an endowment could be secured to provide income for future Trail enhancements.

5. New Forest National Park: Designation order and advice on special arrangements (AP01/50)

In October 1999 the Board agreed to begin the process of designating the New Forest as a National Park, recognising that further work was needed to find administrative solutions to meet the particular needs of the New Forest. This paper reports the outcome of the final stages of this work. The Agency now needs to take final decisions on whether to designate a New Forest National Park and, if so, what the boundary should be and what advice to give to Government on establishing a National Park Authority.

6. BUSINESS RISK MANAGEMENT UPDATE (AP01/51)

The paper presents a 2002 Risk Management Action Plan which has been prepared following a Board risk seminar held in September 2001. The paper suggests that strategic risks should be reviewed annually and sets out a process for doing so. 

7. Rural services standard first annual report (AP01/53)

The Rural White Paper sets out a series of rural service standards to show what people should expect in terms of the minimum standards and targets covering access to and the delivery of public services in rural areas. The Rural Services Standards was designed over time to give people living in the country more choice about how they access the services they need, and a better understanding of what they can expect to get. The paper presents a report to feed into the first annual review of the Rural Services Standards which is to be undertaken by the Cabinet Committee for rural affairs in 2002. 

8. Rural social exclusion (AP01/54)

The problems of social exclusion in rural areas are similar to those experienced by urban people and can be as acute - low income, lack of a secure home, difficulties reaching health care and services, social isolation and powerlessness. However, in rural areas there is less recognition of the problems or that they exist because they are scattered amongst the population, not concentrated in small areas. Rural social exclusion is difficult to quantify, and to tackle. This paper sets out proposals for Agency future work on social exclusion which will involve influencing government policy and delivery mechanisms and focusing on particular themes such as social and community enterprise, young people and resource allocation and targeting. 

9. SUPPORT FOR THE RURAL VOLUNTARY SECTOR (AP01/55)

The Agency works in close partnership with the voluntary sector at all levels and across a wide range of activities seeking to influence their policies and activities to ensure that they recognise and address the needs of rural people and communities. It also provides support for a number of voluntary organisations, both as a means of helping to develop and implement our programmes and activities, and also in recognition of the sector's varied role in underpinning and supporting local activity. The paper proposes that the Agency should seek to strengthen the capacity of the voluntary sector in rural areas and that it should develop the case for additional resources to support this activity. At the same time it is argued that the Agency should continue to influence the national policy framework. 

ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

9. Date and location of next meeting

The next meeting of the Countryside Agency will take place in Devon on Thursday 14 February.ITEMS TO BE TAKEN IN CONFIDENCE

11. COUNTRYSIDE AGENCY FUNDING FOR RURAL COMMUNITY COUNCILS 2002/04 (AP01/56)

The Agency normally funds voluntary activity through project or other short term funding. However, it recognises that local community action needs a local infrastructure to promote, facilitate and support it. Hence the Agency's long term support and funding for the 38 county-based Rural Community Councils (RCCs). RCCs act as intermediary bodies on behalf of local authorities and local communities in their areas. They provide a wide range of services locally, including information, advice and support for local organisations in their counties actively promoting and assisting local voluntary action. The paper proposes that there is an increase in the funding to RCCs for core activities and that a new Service Level Agreement and funding formula for grants to RCCs is adopted which will lead to a redistribution of funds during the three year period from April 2002. 

12. Corporate communications strategy (AP01/52)

The paper presents a communications strategy which is intended to maintain or increase the visibility of the Agency and to clarify its role by more carefully targeted and clearly articulated communications.