Community Action Northumberland

Rural Issues Update: June 2011
Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) 

Defra has been busy developing its rural activities since the change of Government last year.  It has a useful website on rural communities which can be accessed at http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/communities/

Defra published the Uplands Policy Review in March 2011: http://www.defra.gov.uk/food-farm/land-manage/uplands/.  It details measures to help upland farmers, deliver public goods from the upland environment, and support sustainable upland communities, in particular with developments in broadband, housing & planning, business & enterprise, access to services and fuel & energy.

On 1st April 2011 Defra launched its new Rural Communities Policy Unit (RCPU) to strengthen its rural affairs work across government and make sure the interests of rural communities are fully reflected in policy and priorities.  This follows the demise of the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) in March.  The government, led by Defra Ministers and supported by the RCPU, will be producing a Rural Policy Statement during 2011 which will underline its commitment to rural people and places and set out policy priorities for the rest of this parliament.  The ministerial statement announcing the RCPU can be viewed at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmwms/archive/110401.htm#d2e19

In May 2011 Defra published The Statistical Digest of Rural England 2011.  It allows comparison between different rural and urban area classifications and presents an overall picture for Rural England covering a range of social and economic policy areas.  It forms part of Defra’s rural evidence base upon from policy will be developed and will be supplemented by commissioned research and the repository of information left by the CRC.  The digest can be viewed at:  http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/rural-digest-2011.pdf. 

Defra has also produced a Rural Communities Evidence Plan http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13509-ep-rural-communities.pdf which highlights policy areas and the department’s intention to work with sponsored bodies, including the Rural Community Action Network and ACRE, to gather knowledge. 

The Plan also mentions working with new Rural and Farming Networks.  Defra would like to see individuals and organisations from the farming, food and rural affairs sectors come together at a sub-national level as a basis for two way communications between the department and broad rural interests, discussion of issues of common interest and learning from each others’ experience.  Ministers are looking for up to 20 groups nationally that demonstrate participation from the farming and food sectors and representatives of broader community, environmental and business interests.  Expressions of interest are required by 31^st July.  http://archive.defra.gov.uk/rural/documents/countryside/rural-farming-network-1104.pdf