NEEPS

wildgarlic · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:37 am Post subject: Rural Development meetings

Rural Development funding - key facts for communities
3-Oct-2007

The new Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), has been submitted to the European Commission and the Scottish Government now awaiting their final sign-off. This is expected to happen before the end of the year. Funding will be available in the programme for rural community groups delivering the key outcomes.

Here are some of the Key Facts you need to know:

The SRDP seeks to deliver five key outcomes: improve business viability, enhance biodiversity and landscape, improve water quality, tackle climate change and support thriving rural communities.
It is divided into four axes: Axis One is Competitiveness, Axis Two is Environment, Axis Three is Quality of Life and Axis Four is LEADER, which has its own budget but can also be used as a mechanism to deliver funding across the other axes. Most, if not all, community-based funding will come from Axis Three and LEADER.
For SRDP purposes, Scotland is divided into 11 Regions. Each of these will have a Regional Project Assessment Committee (RPAC), comprising staff from the Scottish Government, its agencies and other relevant organisations, including the enterprise network.
The RPACs will set regional priorities for funding through Rural Development Contracts, which are intended to support land management, business development,diversification and wider rural development measures.
The regional priorities set by the RPACs will be guided by national priorities set by a National Project Assessment Committee.
Within each of the Regions, there will also be one or more LEADER areas, each with a Local Action Group (LAG). (the only exception being National Park LAGs, which are likely to cross regional boundaries).
In the previous LEADER programme, there were 13 LAGs. This time, it is anticipated there will be 20. Each LAG will have a Local Development Strategy, and funding applications will be judged against this.
The budget for LEADER is £41 million, of which up to 20% can be spent on administration and management of the LAG.
LEADER funding is strongly focused on achieving rural development benefiting local communities and access to public services for people in rural areas.
Community groups seeking funding will have the choice of applying for funding through LEADER, by approaching their LAG, or through Rural Development Contracts by approaching their RPAC.
There is a measure relating to village halls is in Axis Three which covers Provision of leisure, recreation, sporting, catering and other rural community services and facilities. This is worth £32 million over the seven year life of the programme.
Another measure of interest covers the production of Collaborative Local Development Strategies encompassing Axis Three measures. The narrative about this mentions "public-private" partnerships, but the voluntary sector needs to be in there too.
Detailed guidance is currently being developed about how to apply for funding through the SRDP, with input from SCVO's Rural team.

We will do our best to keep you up to date on new developments. In the meantime, LEADER LAGs are developing local development strategies and business plans which need to reflect the key issues and needs to be tackled across the area. They are consulting with communities and stakeholders to identify these priorities.

Consultations are taking place in the following areas:

Forth Valley - Open day for all rural community groups.

Saturday 6th October 12.30 - 3pm, Municipal Buildings, Stirling. Contact Ann Ketteridge, ketteridgea@stirling.gov.uk

Highland - Community/stakeholder questionnaire

Argyll and Bute - Community priorities questionnaire

Rural Aberdeenshire - Community consultation.

Tuesday 9th October 6.30 for 7.00pm, Alford Primary School, Bank Terrace, Alford. Contact Judith Aylett 01975 651740

Rural Tayside - Community consultation.

11th October, Fisher's Hotel Pitlochry, 7-9pm. Contact Isobel Scott 01738 477949.

15th October, Angus House, Orchardbank Business Park, Forfar, 7-9pm. Contact Linda Caston on 01307 473221

18th October, Links Hotel, Montrose, 7-9pm. Contact Linda Caston on 01307 473221
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