Breadcrumbs
Rural White paper - monitoring report (AP01/42)
FOR INFORMATION
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Relevance to Strategy and Corporate Plan:
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Staff and financial implications:
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Main issues to concern the Board:
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Background
1. Attached at Annex 1 is the second quarterly monitoring return on RWP implementation in the format required by DEFRA. It is included with returns from other Departments and agencies in the full monitoring report prepared by DEFRA. The report is published on the Department's website.
2. The report covers four months (1 June to 30 September 2001) to bring RWP reporting in line with other DEFRA quarterly reporting cycles. As the report had to be with DEFRA before 30 September, some activities (eg grant figures upto the end of the month ) could not be included, but will be picked up in the next report.
Progress
3. The Agency is on target to deliver 24 of its 38 RWP commitments on time. In addition, one commitment - launching the Rural Children and Young People's Forum - was achieved three months ahead of schedule. The following is a note of progress on those areas of activity where there are changes to the original targets, in the order in which they appear in the monitoring report:
- The launch of the Rural Social Exclusion Advisory Group has slipped from its original target date of July 2001 to November 2001, because of staff shortages and extra work caused by implementing at short notice the FMD charity match funding scheme, which has also affected the appointment of the additional community development workers, the target date for which has slipped from December 2001 to March 2002.
- Most transport commitments are being met, but we now expect to have Rural Transport Partnerships across the country by September 2001 instead of July and the work to evaluate the "Wheels to Work " scheme and launch best practice guidance will be completed by March 2002 (December 2001). These delays have both been the result of prolonged staff vacancies.
- The Local Heritage Initiative multimedia resource base launch has had to be put back to Winter 2002 because of the need to follow the Government's "Gateway" procurement procedures.
- A delay from October to November 2001 in publishing draft access land maps was agreed with DEFRA in June and is the result of DEFRA requesting work in greater depth. Publishing the results of the Rights of Way 2000 condition survey has slipped from July to December because of staffing being diverted to FMD.
- Launching the programme of work for improving the countryside around towns has slipped from Autumn 2001 to Spring due to other pressures on the team responsible.
- The announcement on community forest/regeneration initiatives has been delayed from summer 2001 to November 2001 because the National Task Group requested further information about the potential pilot areas.
- The behavioural code of conduct for visitors and landowners has been delayed from 2002 to 2003 because of the additional work DEFRA asked for on access land maps. Establishing the National Access Database on the internet has been deferred from late 2001 to February 2002 to allow for completion of a feasibility study and development of an Invest to Save bid based on the study. If successful, the bid would fund a much better quality database than otherwise achievable.
- The publication date for the Regional State of the Countryside reports has moved back a month to November 2001.
Summary
4. Of the 38 RWP commitments, 25 have been met or we will meet the original target dates. Of the others, despite some changes, we expect all of this year's agreed targets to have been met by the end of the financial year.
Annex 1
RURAL WHITE PAPER IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (as at 30.9.2001)
COUNTRYSIDE AGENCY REPORT TO DEFRA
Chapter 3: Vital Village Services
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Establish a new Community Service Fund of £15m over three years to help sustain or re-establish basic village services (including expansion of village shop support) | 3.2.5 (& 3.2.2) | Community Service grant scheme announced at NALC conference. Launched Vital Villages programme which includes Community Service Fund First grants offered | March 2001 July 2001 July 2001 | CA CA |
Rural Children and Young People's Forum to help shape policy and practice on childcare to meet rural circumstances | 3.5.2 | Forum was formally launched Co-ordinator in post; 4 meetings of Forum held by 30 September | June 2001 | CA |
Chapter 4: Modern rural services
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Launch Rural Social Exclusion Advisory Group | 4.4.13 | Establish and hold first meeting | Autumn 2001 | CA |
£4.5m allocated to fund additional community development work to help rural community social exclusion projects | 4.4.14 | Appointment of additional community development worker in each county to help rural communities tackle problems themselves. Guidance on posts circulated to Rural Community Councils. | March 2002 Oct 2001 | CA |
Chapter 5: An Affordable Home
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/next stages | Date | Lead |
Explore extension of Rural Housing Enabler (RHE) programme | 5.4.6 | Strategy in place for extension of RHE, to have national coverage, and financial support secured from the Housing Corporation. Announced extension of RHE scheme 7 new RHEs to be in post (3 formal applications received to date) At least one RHE scheme in every English county | May 2001 June 2001 March 2002 2004/05 | CA |
Raise awareness of the empty properties issue, and ask RDAs and CA to promote action and best practice | 5.5.6 | RDA Strategies to reflect empty properties issue CA role includes chairing Eastern Region Empty Properties Advisory Group | DTI/ RDAs/ CA | |
Encourage the preparation of Town and Village Plans | 5.7.3 | See entry under Chapter 12 (12.3.3), below | DEFRA/ CA |
Chapter 6: Flexible Local Transport
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Establish at least one Rural Transport Partnership (RTP) per county. Establish up to 500 new Transport projects over next three years, including car-based schemes | 6.3.4 & 6.3.2 | 74 partnerships established. Final partnership to complete rural coverage under negotiation. 54 new projects agreed including agreement to pilot rural car clubs in Yorkshire and the South West. | Sept 2001 April 2004 | CA CA |
Evaluate the existing 'Wheels to Work' scheme | 6.3.4 | Complete evaluation | March 2002 | CA |
New £15m Parish Transport Fund | 6.3.5 | Parish Transport Grants Scheme announced First grant offered Great Ways to Go - a guide for Parish and Town Councils launched Targeted joint mail shot with NALC to all Parish and Town Councils | March 2001 Aug 2001 Aug 2001 Sept 2001 | CA |
Additional Funding of £200,000 over 3 years to support Community Rail Partnerships | 6.4.16 | Grant of £183,000 awarded to Association of Community Rail Partnerships to support development of rail partnerships:
| End 2003-04 Ongoing to March 2003 | CA and partners |
Explore how Local Transport Plans (LTPs) can be used to highlight best practice in tackling rural transport issues | 6.5.2 and 6.5.3 | Research on dissemination of good practice underway. | March 2002 | CA |
Chapter 7: Market Towns and a Thriving Local Economy
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Setting up beacon projects in market towns and national best practice programme (revised commitment) | 7.2.5 | Select beacon projects in market towns - 140 towns identified by summer 2001 from which beacon projects will be selected Establish best practice lessons learnt in market towns: - website launched, learning network to be launched developing best practice | from April 2001 May 2001 Oct 2001 | CA/ RDAs/ AMT |
Expansion of ICT infrastructure (e.g. broadband) in rural areas | 7.5.1 | CA to monitor the rollout of broadband in rural areas and publish progress in State of the Countryside report:- CA responded to E envoy consultation | April 2002 July 2001 | CA |
Chapter 8: A New Future for Farming
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Take forward the "Eat the View" programme, increasing awareness of links between food and the environment (part of the Action Plan for Farming – details on www.defra.gov.uk) | 8.3.4 | Discussion with partners/benchmarking Doubling consumer awareness Helping 100 producers per year find new and stable or growing markets for sustainable local products Launched Eat the View website | Ongoing 2005 Ongoing Sept 2001 | CA/ DEFRA – MCC |
Promotion of speciality foods through "Food from Britain" and direct selling to consumers | 8.3.4 | Assist establishment of further Farmers' Markets - 400 by 2003. CA support given to regional relaunch of Markets | Ongoing Sept 2001 | DEFRA-MCC /CA |
Chapter 9: Conserving and Enhancing Our Countryside
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Continue to support the voluntary sector through grants for projects and core-funding for key partners | 9.3.8 | In first year (2.2.00-31.1.01) of Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) 125 Projects approved with total grant value of £1.25m. Launch LHI multimedia resource base Develop, support and fund 1,400 LHI projects:- 261 grants awarded by mid Sept 2001 New 3 year service level agreement with NCVO for work on the rural voluntary sector Continue to support RCCs and review service level agreement to reflect new priorities in the RWP | Winter 2002 By Autumn 2003 April 2001 By April 2002 | CA CA CA CA CA |
Publish a measure of change in countryside quality | 9.5.2 | Results of Countryside Survey 2000 used to report on interim indicator in State of the Countryside 2001 Contract for full development programme to be let. Final full output for State of the Countryside report | April 2001 March 2002 April 2004 | CA |
Designation of South Downs and New Forest as National Parks | 9.6.1 | Public consultation on proposed New Forest boundary Consultation on New Forest administrative arrangements and further consultation with local authorities and interested groups Designation order to Secretary of State Public consultation on proposed South Downs boundary Consultation on South Downs administrative arrangements and further consultation with local authorities and interested groups Designation order to Secretary of State | ended Jan 2001 July - end Sept 2001 Jan 2002 Nov 2001 Winter/ Spring 2002 Summer 2002 | CA CA CA CA CA CA |
Stronger management arrangements for AONBs (including establishment of Conservation Boards where appropriate) | 9.6.1 | LAs to adopt statutorily required management plans for every AONB. New funding policies in place - to take effect in 2002/3 Countryside Agency to issue guidelines on production of management plans. Establishment of the first conservation board (Chilterns AONB). | March 2004 July 2001 October 2001 April 2003 | DEFRA-CYD/CA |
Chapter 11: Increasing Enjoyment of the Countryside
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/Next Stages | Date | Lead |
Ensure people have the right of access for recreation on foot to mountain, moor, heath, down and common land | 11.2.1 | The Countryside Agency has begun the process of mapping open country and registered common land: first draft maps to be issued in lead mapping areas. | 2005 by November2001 | CA |
Monitor performance of highway authorities | 11.2.4 | Results of Rights of Way conditions surveys to be published Use CA Survey to judge further improvements, enforced through Best Value procedures- survey results available in December 2001 | December2001 2005 | CA DEFRA /CA |
Improve countryside around towns | 11.3.1 | Show how the planning system can be used more creatively to secure public benefits in the countryside around towns. Launch programme | Spring 2002 | CA |
Improve green spaces in local communities | 11.3.1 | Enable 200 communities in urban and rural England to plan, design, create and manage their own multi-purpose green spaces. The Doorstep Greens programme opened for business. First grants to be awarded (By end of August 32 projects had been invited to apply for First Stage grants) | March 2006 April 2001 Summer 2001 | NOF/ CA |
Better maintained and up-to-date country parks, accommodating more sporting and other facilities | 11.3.1 | Develop and promote a 'health check' and action programme for country parks with priority to those in the countryside around towns - first phase of condition survey of 100 country parks completed; pilot projects identified. Best practice guidance to be published Bid to the lottery for a 'renaissance fund' for country parks - bid in advanced stage of negotiation with partners | Autumn 2001 Summer 2002 2002/03 | CA |
Further adoption of Community Forest approach and consider how it can be used to assist other regeneration, forestry and community-based initiatives | 11.3.1 | New programme of grants to build Community Forest action into existing area based initiatives, such as Health Action Zones etc, to be published | November 2001 | DEFRA/ CA/ FC |
Publish Codes of Practice for walkers and for landowners to accompany new statutory access rights | 11.3.7 | Revised edition of "New Rights, New Responsibilities" published Behavioural code of conduct for visitors and landowners to be published | August 2001 2003 | CA |
Establish National Access Database on the internet | 11.3.7 | Complete feasibility study and draw up detailed proposals | February 2002 | DEFRA/ CA |
Chapter 12: Local Power for Country Towns and Villages
Strengthening Town and Parish Councils – the Most Local Tier of Local Government
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/next stages | Date | Lead |
Produce national strategy to provide training and support to local councils (part of £2m CA Fund) | 12.2.6 | Three meetings of Steering Group held with key partners (NALC, LGA, IdeA) Prepare training and support strategy Pilot training Launch new training | by Sept 2001 Autumn 2001 January 2002 April 2002 | CA/ NALC |
Equip every local council with access to an internet-linked management and best practice toolkit (part of £2m CA Fund) | 12.2.6 | Scheme being developed alongside national training and support strategy (see directly above) | End 2001/ Early 2002 | CA |
Help 1000 rural communities prepare their own town or village plan | 12.3.3 | £5 million Parish Plan grant scheme announced at NALC conference. First grant awarded by Margaret Beckett in Gloucestershire Good practice guidance on Parish Plans in preparation | March 2001 July 2001 Spring 2002 | CA |
Chapter 13: Thinking Rural
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/next stages | Date | Lead |
Annual Reports by the Countryside Agency on the rural aspects of government policies | 13.2.1 | Report to be published and to go to National Rural Sounding Board | Feb 2002 | CA |
Rural checklist to help policy makers account for rural needs | 13.2.1 | Checklist published Checklist included in Cabinet Office rapid policy-makers checklist | April 2001 Summer 2001 | CA |
Increase policy makers awareness of rural issues | 13.2.1 | Plan prepared for staff training, development, and secondments. One secondment into Agency in post | June 2001 Summer 2001 | CA/ CMPS |
More co-ordinated rural data collection at regional level | 13.3.2 | To be part of regional rural agendas for action Publish Regional State of the Countryside Reports | Summer 2001 Nov 2001 | GOs CA |
Create a new role of Rural Advocate | 13.4.1 | Rural Advocate appointed Programme of meetings with new Ministers and visits in progress (eg meeting small businesses in County Durham in July) | Nov 2000 | CA |
Annual "State of the Countryside" Report (in addition to 'rural-proofing' report) | 13.4.1 | Report published Prepare and publish next report | April 2001 April 2002 | CA |
Chapter 14: Reviewing Progress
RWP Commitment | RWP Ref | Achievements/next stages | Date | Lead |
CA to bring together and report on 15 national rural indicators in its annual State of the Countryside Report | 14.2.2 | Indicators published in 'State of the Countryside' report Next report to be published | April 2001 April 2002 | CA |
