Breadcrumbs
Agenda for the 28th Meeting of the Countryside Agency
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Chairman to sign minutes of meeting held 18 April 2002
3. MATTERS ARISING REPORT APRIL 2002 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. taking forward the report of the policy commission on the future of farming & food (AP02/13)
The Government aims to publish a full response to the report of the Policy Commission on the future of Farming and Food in the early autumn. This paper recommends how the Agency should advise DEFRA to take forward the recommendations of the Policy Commission on the Future of Food and Farming. The subject coverage of the Policy Commission's Report is very wide and the paper therefore recommends making an input only in areas where the Agency has a particular interest and expertise, and can therefore add value to the debate.5. DEFRA Review of agri-environment schemes (AP02/14)
DEFRA is carrying out a wide-ranging review of agri-environment schemes, with the intention of the results of the review will feed into the mid-term evaluation of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) in 2003. This paper seeks the agreement of the Board for the approach and broad principles that will govern the Agency's advice to DEFRA on the future shape of agri-environment schemes.6. LOCAL HERITAGE INITIATIVE: PROPOSED URBAN EXTENSION AP02/15
The Board is recommended to accept the Heritage Lottery Fund's invitation to manage an extension of the Local Heritage Initiative to urban areas, provided that it is an extension of the existing scheme and is run as one scheme, funding is available from partners to ensure there are no major additional costs to the Agency, the terms of the partnership agreement fit within the Agency's strategy and bring clear benefits.7. Review of Local Government Finance (AP02/16)
The Board is recommended to agree the focus for the Agency's work in this wide field, and confirm the Agency's response to the Government's Review of Local Government Finance.8. Corporate Plan End of Year Report for 2001/02 (AP02/17)
This is the final report for 2001/02. It summarises financial performance and the extent to which the organisation achieved agreed corporate outputs as set out in the Corporate Plan 2001/02. The Board are recommended to approve this end of year report.9. Knowledge Management IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AGENCY AP02/18
The Agency needs better knowledge management to ensure that lessons learned from its work on the ground flows through the organisation to help policy formulation and targeting of resources. Better knowledge management will also help to speed up the Agency's decision making and response to change. This paper invites the Board to endorse the work that the Agency is doing to manage its know-how and expertise better, and to share its knowledge more effectively with its key partners, in order to extend its influencing role. The Board is also recommended to approve the level of time and resources identified for evaluating Learning Networks.10. Date and Location of next meeting
The next meeting of the Countryside Agency will be on 18 July 2002, John Dower House, Cheltenham.
