Breadcrumbs
Rural White Paper Progress (AP02/23)
FOR DECISION
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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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Purpose
1. This paper informs the Board of the Agency's progress with implementing its Rural White Paper (RWP) commitments, especially since the last monitoring exercise in March 2002. It also summarises progress by other departments and bodies responsible for implementing the RWP. Finally, the paper recommends some issues for the Agency to include in an initial input to the forthcoming RWP progress review by DEFRA.
Background
2. The Rural White Paper, Our Countryside: The Future, was published in November 2000. DEFRA maintains and updates an implementation plan, which can be viewed on its website. DEFRA have just collected information for another update (showing progress to 31 August 2002), which they hope will go live on their website within the next month. The previous update exercise was undertaken in March 2002.
3. This time, for the first time, we have attempted to analyse progress by other departments and bodies who have responsibilities for implementing RWP commitments. This has necessarily been based upon the March 2002 update and, where we have it, knowledge of progress since. (We do not yet have access to all the latest DEFRA returns.) We have assessed both:
- the extent to which deadlines are being met; and
- whether any of the original deadlines have been changed/slipped.
4. We understand that the recent Spending Review settlement letter from Treasury to DEFRA sought a review of RWP progress, with a view to setting cross-cutting aims and targets and translating the RWP into an agreed cross-Government agenda. There are no terms of reference or timetable yet for this review. However, DEFRA officials expect it to be:
- a stock-take of progress;
- a chance to clarify the rationale for RWP policy interventions, to meet Treasury concerns; and
- an opportunity to modify the RWP policy implementation.
The review will allow the Agency to put forward ideas for progressing the policy agenda. In particular, external events have moved on since the RWP publication in November 2000, so new or different policy actions may be justified.
Progress to date
5. Progress by the Agency - our draft return to DEFRA is at Annex 1, which is an extract from the RWP Implementation Plan. The main message is that the Agency continues to make good progress and is meeting or progressing towards the great majority of its targets on time. This can be seen across areas such as Community Service Grants, grants for rural transport projects, Wheels to Work, the Market Towns Initiative, AONB management plans, Doorstep Greens and the access to open land mapping work (though the timetable for the run-up to 2005 has slipped a little). Particular achievements since March 2002 are: 206 Community Service Grants awarded; another 15 Community Development Worker posts approved; the number of transport projects funded on course to meet the RWP target a year early; the selection of 20 beacon towns under the Market Towns Initiative; and ensuring our rural proofing checklist is incorporated in Integrated Policy Appraisal systems being established in 4 central Government Departments.
6. On six (out of our 38) RWP targets where the Agency is behind schedule. These are:
- Designation of the New Forest National Park on time. The decision by DEFRA to hold a public enquiry into administrative arrangements as well as the boundary to be confirmed means that they can no longer meet this deadline;
- National Access Database - the failure of the funding bid for this database, with no alternative funding yet being made available, is delaying this work;
- Rural Social Exclusion Advisory Group - we are a year late establishing this, but plans are now well advanced for its launch this Autumn;
- National Parish Training Strategy - work with NALC to provide a strategy for training and support to Parish and Town Councils has experienced a small delay and is 2 months behind deadline.
- Rural Proofing Annual Report - similarly, our first report on the Government's record was published 2 months after the target date, largely due to information arriving late from Departments and the need to allow Departments time to check the report's factual accuracy;
- There are some small delays in the mapping of open land due to problems with our contractors who seem unable to cope with the volume of work involved without making mistakes.
7. Progress by others - progress by other organisations responsible for delivering RWP commitments can be described as variable. Key points are:
- roughly a quarter of targets in the implementation plan had been fully delivered by March 2002. These included extending rate relief to village pubs, garages and food shops; giving rate relief to farmers diversifying; publishing a revised Farmers Guide to the planning system; creating a new integrated delivery service for the ERDP; increasing funding for AONB management; and taking steps to seek a rural dimension within Community Strategies and some Local PSA targets. Annex 2 provides a complete list;
- progress against most of the outstanding targets was on or fairly close to the deadline given in the last (March 2002) version of the Implementation Plan. Those where there appear to be delays include: the 100 rural one-stop primary care centres by 2004 (none yet delivered); local housing authorities making an assessment of rural needs (not yet complete); and establishing an electronic rural portal for farmers (running late, though partly due to FMD);
- however, if measured against the deadlines that were set in the original (March 2001) version of the Implementation Plan, a good quarter of commitments appear to be running more than 5 months late or were completed more than 5 months late. In other words, quite a number of deadlines have been amended as the Implementation Plan has been updated. Commitments running significantly late include: changes in regulations and guidance to encourage more community and flexible transport; promotion of rural best practice from Neighbourhood Renewal initiatives; regional Government Office implementation of rural proofing (now being implemented); and preparing an evaluation plan for the RWP itself (which we believe is now in-hand). The full list of late running policies is at Annex 3.
Proposals
8. The Agency played a major role in advising on and helping to shape the Rural White Paper. We clearly have both a direct interest in its implementation and an indirect interest in ensuring that it is implemented by others. We propose, therefore, that the Agency should write to DEFRA, before its RWP progress review gets fully under way, whilst we have a chance to influence how it is framed and focussed. We recommend we should say that:
- much of the Rural White Paper and the actions in it still hold good. It is essential, therefore, that the remainder of the RWP Implementation Plan is delivered. Despite good progress in some areas, there are some worrying signs of delay and slipped deadlines (we will give examples);
- however, we recognise that some policy issues have moved on since the RWP was published (e.g. the emergence of DEFRA, the 2002 Spending Review and agricultural policy post the Curry report and with the mid-term CAP review), so there is scope to update the implementation plan;
- the Agency would be pleased to input to this work and assist the Department.
9. We would also highlight the following policies where the agenda has moved significantly on and there are opportunities to develop what was in the RWP Implementation Plan:
- agriculture - many of the RWP proposals are being achieved, but the focus now needs to be on achieving a further shift of funding from commodity support to rural development and other public benefits, and on implementation of the Rural Development Regulation;
- land management - given new entry level requirements for agri-environment schemes, there needs to be a review of the standards underpinning the Good Farm Practice;
- regional development agencies - they have been given significant extra resources and flexibilities, and have a key role in delivering the rural affairs PSA productivity target;
- rural service standards - these have already been reviewed once since the RWP and there are possibilities to apply them down to the local authority level or to develop a rural dimension to local authorities' PSA targets;
- service delivery - recent developments include the formation of a Social Enterprise Unit in DTI and the cross-cutting review on the role of the voluntary sector in service delivery, which will report in September. Developments in the e-government agenda and the scope for more mainstreaming of joint provision also make this an issue worth revisiting;
- village halls - there are some ideas developed now, which go beyond the RWP words, eg. the Agency's work on reducing VAT on the maintenance of community buildings and the scope for a loan fund to help meet requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act;
- broadband - following the creation of the Government's Regional Broadband Unit in DTI and additional Spending Review resources, there is scope for a clearer cross- Government rural broadband strategy;
- transport - this needs reviewing to take account of the Social Exclusion Unit's and Agency's work on accessibility targets and audits, and the current review of bus subsidies;
- the urban fringe - to take account of the developing work on the link with the health agenda, this would benefit from cross-Government targets;
- countryside recreation - this policy agenda needs to be broadened from leisure, to embrace personal and community well-being;
- EU Landscape Convention - this gives scope for a modest development of Government policy. Signing up to the convention would send a positive signal;
- land use planning - the recent planning statement and forthcoming PPG revisions have moved this policy agenda significantly forward;
- housing - this has become even more of an issue and there would be advantages in reinforcing the need for and means of delivering more affordable housing to meet local needs (including the role of market towns in meeting housing demand).
All this points towards a strong case for a follow up "Rural White Paper revisited" to be published next Autumn perhaps, following the various reviews planned for the coming year - or perhaps the following Autumn (2004) in the height of the next Spending Review outcome.
Financial and manpower consequences
10. No additional finances or manpower are being sought. The initial input to DEFRA can be done within the course of normal businesses. If DEFRA come back requesting more significant input, we would wish to help, but would need to weigh the extent of our input against other priorities. This seems most likely to affect rural assurance teams.
Next steps
11. If the Board agree with this approach, we might issue a press release after the Hexham meeting calling for work towards a Rural White Paper update. This might drum up significant support in the light of continuing public concern about rural liberty and livelihood.
Risks and mitigation measures
12. There is a risk that, as we move further away from the RWP, its implementation is less in the spotlight and falls away. We, therefore, need to keep re-inforcing the message about completing the RWP implementation. The RWP progress review could move Government policies in a direction that is unfavourable. We need to engage early with the review and be prepared to make a positive input.
Recommendations
13. The Board is asked to comment on progress with implementing the Rural White Paper by the Agency and others and to agree the actions suggested.
File ref: RPSU 22192
Annex 1
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 Total 481 grants offered, 206 since 1/4/02 Over 25,000 grant application packs distributed, 50,000 information fliers and over 7,000 calls to call centre | March 2001 July 2001 Aug 2002 March 2002 | 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 appointed. Regular meetings held. AGM held. National conference planned with Rural Health Forum on rural children and young peoples health. Forum contributed to cross-cutting review on children at risk and Government Forum co-ordinator used by DfES to comment on latest round of Connexions business plans. | June 2001 June 2002 Sept 2002 | 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 2002 | 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. 34 posts approved out of 38. Community Development Foundation appointed to establish national network. | Aug 2002 Aug 2002 | 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 programme, to have national coverage and with financial support from the Housing Corporation. Announced extension of RHE scheme 6 new RHEs in post. At least one RHE scheme in every English county | May 2001 June 2001 Sept 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. Work is underway to explore tax options to encourage renovation of existing properties. Also, the Agency is using the Market Town Health Check to promote the use of letting over the shops in Yorkshire and Humberside. | 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 | 81 partnerships established (all fully rural counties covered). A further 12 are anticipated in this financial year. 367 (Sept 2002) new projects agreed including 11 pilot rural car clubs. Another 300 are expected to be up and running by March 2003 | March 2002 April 2004 | CA |
Evaluate the existing 'Wheels to Work' scheme | 6.3.4 | Evaluation completed Good practice guidance launched and RWP commitment met. Work is ongoing to mainstream this project. | March 2002 July 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 79 grants now offered. | March 2001 Aug 2001 Aug 2001 Sept 2001 Sept 2002 | CA |
Additional Funding of £200,000 over 3 years to support Community Rail Partnerships | 6.4.16 | Grant of £197,750 awarded to Association of Community Rail Partnerships to support development of rail partnerships:
| End 2003-04 Ongoing to March 2003 Sept 2002 | 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 | Guidance on good practice is being commissioned. | March 2003 | 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 | 141 towns identified by summer 2001. 20 towns will be selected as beacons in early 2003 115 of 141 are undertaking health checks, 61 Action Plans have been completed and 43 project managers are in post Establish best practice lessons learned in market towns: website launched, learning network launched Monitoring and evaluation is underway | Autumn 2002 Sept 2002 May 01 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 data in State of the Countryside report and track progress in rural proofing process: Monitoring happening through Regional Broadband Unit CA responded to E envoy consultation CA a member of Broadband Stakeholders Forum Strategy Implementation Group CA inputting to rural Broadband conference | April 2002 onwards July 2001 February 2002 Autumn 2002 | 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) Promotion of regional and local foods through FFB partnership via Regional Food Groups (RFGs) | 8.3.4 | Increase consumer awareness in partnership with other key organisations. Launched the Eat the View website (http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/ETV/index.asp) Local Food Works with Soil Association launched New publication to explain the project Helping 100 producers per year find new and stable or growing markets for sustainable local products Local sustainable products strategy and action plan launched in Yorkshire and Humberside CA continues to fund Regional Food Groups to develop consumer awareness, and expand farmer membership to provide improved marketing for locally and regionally distinctive products and encourage members to adopt sustainable forms of production. | Ongoing to 2005 Sept 2001 July 2002 Aug 2002 Ongoing Ongoing | CA/ DEFRA – MCC |
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 441 grants awarded by end August. £5m committed since launch of the scheme. | Winter 2002 Autumn 2003 | CA |
Publish a measure of change in countryside quality | 9.5.2 | Interim indicator used in 2001 and 2003 State of the Countryside Reports. Contract for full development of State of the Countryside indicators programme 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 | New Forest boundary agreed Consultation on New Forest administrative arrangements completed Designation order submitted to Secretary of State New Forest Public Inquiry to start Oct 2002 Public consultation on proposed South Downs boundary completed Consultation on South Downs administrative arrangements completed Formal consultation with local authorities Designation order to Secretary of State | Dec 2001 Sept 2001 Jan 2002 Spring 2003 Summer 2002 Autumn 2002 Winter 2002 | CA DEFRA 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 published guidelines on production of management plans. Web-based guidance on conservation board now live Establishment of the first conservation board (Chilterns AONB) The Cotswolds are also pursuing the Conservation Board option | March 2004 July 2001 Nov 2001 March 2002 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 published for lead mapping areas (lower NW and SE England). Draft map for Southern England published Provisional SE England map published | 2005 Nov 2001 June 02 July 2002 | CA |
Monitor performance of highway authorities | 11.2.4 | Rights of Way Condition Survey 2000 published CA has provided DEFRA with the baseline data from the Rights of Way Condition Survey 2000 | Dec 2001 2005 | CA DEFRA/ CA |
Improve countryside around towns | 11.3.1 | 4 research projects now completed. Good Practice guidance is in progress and will be published. Developing advice to Government on how urban fringe areas should be managed to promote environmental and social benefits. ODPM has invited the Agency to develop a sustainable framework for the Thames Gateway area. | Summer 2002 March 2003 Summer 2003 | 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. 943 expressions of interest, 109 projects offered first stage grants and 9 offered second stage grants Work on promoting the grants to eligible groups continues, and support for applicants is ongoing. Other sources of funding are being sought, and work on evaluation is underway | March 2006 April 2001 Sept 2002 Ongoing | 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. There are pilot studies running alongside the research programme and report due in September. Best practice guidance to be published Bid to the lottery for a 'renaissance fund' for country parks - partnership being sought with HLF | Sept 2002 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 | 7 REACT projects launched and staff will be appointed Monitoring and evaluation contract let Once staff are in place, detailed work programmes and action plans will be developed. Monitoring framework will be established | Sept 2002 Aug 2002 Sept 2002 | DEFRA/ CA/FC |
Publish Codes of Practice for walkers and for landowners to accompany new statutory access rights | 11.3.7 | "New Rights, New Responsibilities" work completed Behavioural code of conduct for visitors and landowners to be published - research to inform the content of the codes is underway. Consultation will begin in September Work to develop site symbol for open countryside and behavioural symbols is being revised in light of market testing. | August 2001 2003 Sept 2002 March 2003 | CA |
Establish National Access Database on the internet | 11.3.7 | Feasibility study completed. Application for funds from CMF was unsuccessful, now developing alternative plans to implement the system | April 2002 Summer 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 | Five meetings of Steering Group held with key partners (NALC, LGA, IdeA) National training strategy launched Pilot training held between January and June focusing on: Society of Local Council Clerks induction pack; councillors' good practice training video and new professional qualification for Clerks (AQA Certificate in Local Council Administration) Launch new training programme in September | Sept 2002 Nov 2001 June 2002 Sept 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) LGA/NALC/Agency will jointly host a freely accessible web-based management and good practice toolkit (see www.idea.gov.uk) Further research into the use of ICT by local councils will further the scope of the project | Dec 2002 Sept 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 available and more than 500 Parish and Town Councils have registered interest to produce plans Total number of grants to August is 281 | March 2001 July 2001 March 2002 Aug 2002 | CA |
Continue to support the infrastructure for the voluntary sector in rural areas. | 12.5.5 | New SLA agreed April 2001. Work programme agreed for 2nd year (2002/03). Alun Michael attended the launch of the research produced in the first year (May 2002). New RCC SLA and funding formula agreed from April 2002. Work to be put in hand during current SLA to develop more customer based reporting procedure. | April 2001 April 2002 | CA 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 | First report was published on 11th April and presented at the Rural Affairs Forum for England meeting. It is available at www.countryside.gov.uk | April 2002 | CA |
Rural checklist to help policy makers account for rural needs | 13.2.1 | Checklist published April 2001 and now being used by policy makers in 12 Government Departments. It is included in the Cabinet Office rapid policy-makers checklist. It is now being incorporated into the Integrated Policy Appraisal piloted by DEFRA, ODPM, DH and DfT. | April 2001 Summer 2002 | CA |
Increase policy makers awareness of rural issues | 13.2.1 | Seminar held for staff from DTI. One secondment into Agency and one secondment from CA to Treasury to rural proof the Comprehensive Spending Review 2002. | June 2002 Ongoing | CA/ CMPS |
More co-ordinated rural data collection at regional level | 13.3.2 | Published Regional State of the Countryside Reports Next reports due in Autumn 2002. | Nov 2001 Oct 2002 | CA |
Create a new role of Rural Advocate | 13.4.1 | Rural Advocate appointed 28 November 2000. He has met Ministers from every Government Department. A further series of meetings is planned. Regional visits are also ongoing. He also met with NGOs to promote rural proofing. | Nov 2000 2001/ 2002 2002/ 2003 | CA |
Annual "State of the Countryside" Report (in addition to 'rural-proofing' report) | 13.4.1 | Report published State of the Countryside Report 2002 published July 2002, interim report launched May | April 2001 May 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 Indicators updated in "State of the Countryside 2002" | April 2001 May 2002 | CA |
ANNEX 2
COMPLETED RURAL WHITE PAPER TARGETS (as of 31 March 2002)
Note: this includes both commitments completed by their target date and some completed beyond their target date.
- Review Rural Service Standard annually (completed for 2002, ongoing).
- Expansion of village shop rate relief scheme to more food shops.
- Extension of rate relief to village pubs and garages.
- Reduce the rate of VAT from 17.5% to 5% on repairs and maintenance of listed buildings which are also places of worship.
- Create a fairer financial regime for schools.
- Job vacancy information to be available on the internet and via IT information points in public places.
- £4.5m allocated to fund additional community development work to help community social exclusion projects.
- Publish national standards for public library services.
- Creative partnerships to provide enhanced opportunities for school children to participate in artistic and creative activities.
- Developing local solutions through local crime reduction partnerships and strategies.
- Positive improvement in police response times.
- Encourage more active public consultation before rural police station closures.
- Every major rural police station to have a drugs worker.
- Development of on-line Rural Crime Toolkit, drawing on examples of good practice.
- Ask all housing authorities to make a specific assessment of rural housing needs.
- Funding allocations to take account of how effective housing authorities have been.
- The Housing Corporation to take account of higher development costs in rural areas.
- Promote more flexible lettings policies by LAs. This will help LAs take better account of housing needs in rural areas (pilots operational for next 2 years).
- PPG13 will emphasise the need to site new development where it is accessible by public transport or where people can access services.
- Government to consult on package of measures to reduce taxation for motorists: removing duty on lead replacement petrol; extending reduced rate of vehicle excise duty to cars up to 1500cc.
- Discuss options for car-clubs and car-sharing schemes with the Motorist's Forum.
- Evaluate the existing 'Wheels to Work' scheme.
- New £15m Parish Transport Fund.
- Rural Bus Challenge funding to continue for next 3 years, with minimum of £20m each year (first results announced).
- A fast track Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) bidding process and fund more RPP projects.
- LAs given the power to require bus companies to provide and display service information.
- Increased LA action on traffic calming measures in their capital programmes.
- Clause in Transport Act 2000 to give legal status to Quiet Lanes.
- Setting up beacon projects in market towns and national best practice programme (revised commitment).
- Revise PPG13 to emphasise role of market towns as focus for jobs and services.
- 100% capital allowance for creating 'flats over shops'.
- Support "business clusters" in rural areas eg. through Innovative Clusters Fund.
- Produce a joint English Tourism Council (ETC)/CA tourism strategy.
- Small Business Council (SBC) to consider setting up a Rural Issues Sub-Group.
- Help for small and medium-sized abattoirs.
- Establish a government/industry task force to look at inputs into farming.
- Set up joint government/industry studies on efficiencies in key sectors starting with the milk and dairy supply chain.
- Provide resources to offset EU reduction in support for the School Milk Scheme.
- Abolish vehicle excise duty on tractors.
- Set up code of practice to put relations between supermarkets and suppliers on a clearer basis.
- Pilot schemes to increase people's access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Free consultancy advice on planning available to farmers under the RES (part of Action Plan for Farming, as are 43, 44, 45, 47, 62 and 63).
- Issue a planning policy statement to clarify the positive approach wanted from local planning authorities toward farm diversification proposals.
- Revise PPG13 (on transport) to clarify framework for considering transport implications of rural development.
- Fact finding research on how local planning authorities deal with farmers and proposals for diversification.
- Publish revised Farmers Guide to the planning system.
- Time limited rate relief for farmers diversifying into non-farming activities.
- Create new Government/Industry Non-Food Crops Forum to give strategic advice on developing non-food applications of crops.
- Increase numbers of overseas student allowed to work on UK farms in the summer.
- Introduce electronic data transfer in the Cattle Tracing System (CTS)
- Fly Tipping Forum to assess the scale of the problem on farms and how it can be tackled.
- Issue PPG13 (transport) to help strengthen market towns as focus for development.
- Issue new planning framework to help safeguard recreational open spaces and create new ones.
- Issue new guidance to discourage further housing developments in areas of high flood risk.
- Clarify planning arrangements in respect of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land.
- Repeal of Minister of Agriculture's powers to intervene in decisions on BMV land.
- Consult on the application of environmental impact assessment procedures to intensive agricultural operations.
- Consult on proposals for a National Ambient Noise Strategy.
- Introduced revised planning guidance to enable LAs to apply suitable low noise limits to new or extended quarries.
- Further increase funding for AONBs.
- Establish a National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit.
- Hill Farming - fund programme to develop business skills and training, and establish demonstration farms.
- Increase the rate of grant under Farm Waste Grant scheme to 40% (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones).
- Contribute to the MONARCH and REGIS projects to evaluate impacts wildlife and geological features.
- Revise guidance to give planning authorities a clear framework for more sport and recreation provision.
- Consider changes to Best Value to bring in more Parish and Town Councils.
- Set out the role that town or village plans can play as Supplementary Planning Guidance.
- Make clear that community strategies should take account of rural circumstances in relevant areas, setting out the role that local councils can play.
- Work with 20 LAs to develop and pilot local PSAs.
- Continue to support the infrastructure for the voluntary sector in rural areas.
- Annual reports by the Countryside Agency on the rural aspects of government policies (first report published April 2002).
- Agency to produce a rural checklist to help policy makers account for rural needs.
- Each government department to produce an annual report on how policies have been rural-proofed.
- Strengthen presence of Government Departments in the regional Government Offices.
- Create new integrated delivery service for the ERDP.
- Create new CAP payments agency, merging the functions of the 9 RSCs and the Intervention Board.
- Create a new role of Rural Advocate.
- Establish a National Rural Sounding Board (as Rural Affairs Forum for England it first met in January 2002).
- Establish Regional Rural Sounding Boards (now meeting as Regional Rural Affairs Forums).
ANNEX 3
DELAYED RURAL WHITE PAPER COMMITMENTS (as at 31 March 2002)
This annex lists those commitments that appear have been at least 5 months behind the original (March 2001) RWP Implementation Plan schedule by 31 March 2002. Many are now completed (late), so there is some overlap with Annex 2. Others are targets were still to be completed.
- Expansion of village shop rate relief scheme to more food shops.
- Reduce the rate of VAT from 17.5% to 5% on repairs and maintenance of listed buildings which are also places of worship.
- New ambulance response times apply from March 2001, so that 75% of life threatening (Category A) calls are responded to within 8 minutes.
- Monitor the degree to which the social services agenda is being met in rural areas.
- Ensure national frameworks for the health and social services agenda take account of rural needs.
- Promotion of best practice in Neighbourhood Renewal and improving the skills and expertise of those involved, including what is likely to work in rural areas.
- New Race Equality Grant - fund rural projects to help combat problems identified by research report "Challenging Racism in the Rural Idyll".
- Ask all housing authorities to make a specific assessment of rural housing needs.
- Funding allocations to take account of how effective housing authorities have been.
- Provide cheaper homes to buy in rural areas.
- Consult on whether to give LAs discretion to end 50% discount on council tax on second homes and whether additional income should be retained locally.
- Review criteria for Rural Bus Subsidy Grant to broaden the scheme.
- New guidance on what the law already allows on flexible public transport services.
- Relaxation of registration requirements to encourage flexibly-routed services and wider role for community transport.
- Consider changes to the rules to allow expansion of community transport.
- Produce a simpler system of setting speed limits in rural areas.
- Issue guidance on 30 mph speed limits in villages.
- Develop measures for reducing vehicle speeds.
- Town Improvement Schemes - allow LAs to raise a supplementary business rate to fund local projects chosen with the agreement of the affected ratepayers.
- Implement LEADER+ programme 2000-6 worth around £50m in England.
- Establish an 'Electronic Rural Portal' for farming (part of Action Plan for Farming, as are 25, 26, 27 and 49).
- Set up joint government/industry studies on efficiencies in key sectors, starting with milk and dairy chain.
- Hold a stakeholder seminar on e-business in the countryside.
- Set up code of practice to put relations between supermarkets and suppliers on a clearer basis.
- Publish a free 'New Directions' Guide.
- Free consultancy advice on planning available to farmers under the RES.
- Fact finding research on how local planning authorities deal with farmers and proposals for diversification.
- Published revised Farmers Guide to Planning System.
- Produce specific proposals to integrate on-farm inspections.
- Fly Tipping Forum to assess the scale of the problem on farms and how it can be tackled.
- Consult on range of options, including impact fees and broadening the range of local improvements, which can be requested under a planning obligation.
- Provide good practice advice in respect principally of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land in evaluating agricultural quality, landscape value and biodiversity.
- Issue new planning policy guidance on aggregate supply.
- Consult on the application of environmental impact assessment procedures to intensive agriculture operations.
- Consult on proposals for a National Ambient Noise Strategy.
- 60% of trunk road network - including all concrete roads - to have low-noise surfaces.
- Improve the law on protection of commons.
- Identify further marine sites for Natura 2000.
- Review contributions to the Ramsar Convention's list of internationally important wetlands.
- Issue national guidelines for the identification and management of nature conservation importance.
- Revise planning guidance on Nature Conservation (PPG9) to emphasise need to take account of wildlife sites and Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) in planning policies.
- Establish new objectives for BAP process and produce a biodiversity strategy for England.
- Keep permanently under review the species and habitat types which require priority action.
- Rationalise the identification and protection of rare and endangered species.
- Establish a National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit.
- Develop an Integrated Farm Management approach.
- Raise profile of Pesticides Forum and enhance its effectiveness.
- Hold discussions with Crop Protection Association on how their package of voluntary measures to minimise the adverse environmental impact of pesticide use can be further improved.
- Designation of further nitrate vulnerable zones.
- Examine scope for better integration between spending on flood defence and environmental water management.
- Help set up the Earthwatch biodiversity resource centre (one-stop shop for biodiversity advice).
- Assess impacts of climate change on water resources, agriculture, coastal defences and biodiversity.
- Revise guidance to give local planning authorities a clear framework for more sport and recreation provision.
- Further adoption of Community Forest approach and consider how it can be used to assist other regeneration, forestry and community-based initiatives.
- Provide strategy for optimising recreational possibilities of water.
- Consider changes to Best Value to bring in more Parish and Town Councils.
- Support set up of rural networks for authorities to develop and disseminate best practice on Best Value.
- Regional Government Offices to take forward the rural agenda at regional level.
- More co-ordinated rural data collection at regional level.
- Establish a National Rural Sounding Boards.
- Establish Regional Rural Sounding Boards.
- Set up a Rural Sub-Group of the Central-Local Partnership.
- Evaluate each of the key policies and programmes in the White Paper over the next 5-10 years, making results publicly available.
- Review of urban and rural definitions.
- Bring together information from monitoring and evaluation, and publish a comprehensive report on progress with the strategy.
