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Rural Development funding - key facts for communities
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
Wednesday 10th October 6.30 for 7pm, Mearns Academy, Laurencekirk
Thursday 11th October 6.30 for 7pm. Mintlaw Academy, Mintlaw
Contact Nicky Donald 01771 613 584
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
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders LEADER Local Action Group have developed some ideas on how LEADER funding should be targeted in the Borders, but would like to hear local views and suggestions. The following drop-in sessions have been arranged.
18th October, Jedburgh Town Hall, Abbey Place, 6–8pm
22nd October, Duns Council Chamber, Newtown Street, 6-8pm
23rd October, Peebles Council Chamber, Rosetta Road, 6-8pm
Contact Maria MacKenzie 01835 826 661
A Scottish Borders questionnaire will be available soon at www.scotborders.gov.uk/newleader.
Related articles
NFU Scotland host Rural Development Programme events
Announcement: Rural Development Programme seminars
Response round up - SRDP funding announcement
Scottish Rural Development Programme funding plans announced
- Source
- Rural Gateway
- Date
- 3-Oct-2007
- Categories
- COMMUNITIES, COUNTRYSIDE, FUNDING, All Scotland, News - General, News - Top Story
5-Oct-2007 @ 08:32AM
Michael Johnston
Daye we did not get anything other than the farm assurance money (but it is a small fraction of what it costs), we are organic so are not eligible for most LMC items unfortunately we do not even get Organic payments as the schemes have run out with no new ones. Most other farmers here deeply resent the theft of cash with no prospect of its return (I doubt RDP will even start next year, the EU will likely ask for a complete rethink) LEADER will not be available to us as it will involve long trips to the nearest town to access any service, new fuel taxes mean it will be too expensive for most to do so. All of these schemes are full of fine words but deliver nothing, if the Govt was serious about helping the rural areas it would not rob the poorest (almost bankrupt now due to F&M) to pay for things they will never get to use. I asked the children what they wanted from LEADER the said transport (but then said it would never happen) so they wanted every rural child given a laptop with a web cam at least that way they would see their friends.
4-Oct-2007 @ 21:47PM
Daye Tucker
Norman,the money comes from subsidies to support the cheap food we enjoy, which in turn, helps to keep down inflation. Michael, farmers ARE part of the community and as such will benefit from LEADER community based projects such as you mention. Norman, are you aware that farmers were not able to access any of their modulation money in 2007? Michael, is there really nothing that you have been able to access in the 2005 and 2006 LMC which was non competitive?
Daye Tucker.
4-Oct-2007 @ 16:44PM
Michael Johnston
The money got there to support farming the backbone ofthe rural community. I enquired about LEADER funding to be told that famers and their families are not part of the "community" and are not eligable for funding. Most money seems to be spent on paths and benches for those who visit (sometimes for a few years at a time but never longer)leaving those who live full time devoid of money and services. How about actually supporting families that live full time in rural areas, a dentist would be a good start, perhaps a nursery class or playgroup? We are a mixed race family, perhaps help to get those who told us that "I moved here to get away from people like you" to see the error of their ways. No much easier to open another useless path and maybe some sculpture after all if we had a play area the children might make a noise. Sorry to rant but I have had enough of pious words and no action in the rural areas. Stop robbing those who live here to fund those who visit.
It's a point of view, Michael - but how did that money get into the pockets of those farming families in the first place? The decision on how to spend public money for public benefit is a political one, and the one sure thing about political decisions is that they will disappoint someone. The shift in rural policy towards increased investment in wider rural development is taking place all over the world - and anyway, most of the funding in the SRDP is either available to farmers or will benefit the communities in which they live.
3-Oct-2007 @ 15:37PM
Michael Johnston
Lets be clear about this, the entire RDP programme is funded by money removed from the pockets of hard pressed farming families. There is no RDP scheme available nor will there be until sometime next year, yet the theft of cash from businesses ruined by F&M continues. The idea of 20% of that cash being wasted on administration is too much to bear.
You can find details of further seminars and NFU Scotland meetings about the Scottish Rural Development Programme in http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/item/2007
SRDP newsletter update
9-Oct-2007 @ 15:44PM
Norette Ferns
The Scottish Government have produced an update on the SRDP, its implementation and delivery. You can download the September update from the Rural Gateway now.
http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/cgi-bin/library.cgi?action=detail&id=1995&dir_publisher_varid=1
Some events have been added to this article recently. You will find details of these events and more events from the SRDP newsletter update in the article 'Rural Development Programme Update'. See http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/item/2017