NEWS
You have established your firm close to home, inspired by the environment of a Northern dale, to design and make sports’ footwear. You’ve made great strides and established your products and its outdoor brand at home and overseas. In an area desperate for quality and skilled jobs, you have employed several local residents. With these characteristics of an innovative growth firm, you submit plans to expand your workplace. Imagine the frustration and the economic and social effect on your locality of being advised by planning authorities that expansion of such a business is inappropriate in a rural environment and recommend moving to an urban business setting, says Roger Turner
T
his is one of many real experiences – some inspiring,
others frustrating - from rural economies across England that informed our Agenda for change: releasing the economic potential of England’s rural areas. Published at the beginning of September it is distilled from evidence and advice, inspiring stories of entrepreneurship and business growth, of community resilience and wellbeing, gathered over the last two years.
As the government’s adviser on the needs of rural people, communities and business, we at the Commission for Rural Communities have explored how to release the economic potential of rural areas with representatives of rural businesses, employees, households, communities and local councils.
With the support of the regional development agencies we hosted a series of rural economic summits. We have gathered and conveyed to ministers and their departments evidence and experience of the impacts of the recession on rural areas and solutions to aid their recovery. This Agenda offers the public sector at all levels a basis for action to promote sustainable economic growth and economic wellbeing in rural England.
Many of its proposals echo the drivers and ambitions of the coalition government. . It highlights the need for: · more explicit attention to ensure economic policies and delivery to address the needs
Sep/Oct 10
of rural, as well as urban, communities;
· local authorities and other public bodies to demonstrate a commitment to responding positively to community-led plans (locally-developed plans which embody the ambitions in the government’s big society agenda);
· devolving greater power and responsibilities to businesses over relevant business and employment support measures, (and work with rural business and economic stakeholders to design and deliver local enterprise partnerships)
· the planning system be used to support rather than frustrate sustainable economic growth in rural area; and.
· improvements in
communications infrastructure (broadband and mobile) in rural England (essential if rural businesses are to realise their potential).
Business leaders from the Federation of Small Business, the Country Land and Business Association, the NFU and the British Chamber of Commerce amongst others informed the proposals in the Agenda for change. Many local authorities and parish and town councils contributed their experiences and ideas and Councillor Andrew Bowles, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Rural Commission, has commended it to local authorities and local councillors. It also benefited from
inputs from the Departments of BIS, CLG and Defra, from government offices and RDAs.
Caroline Spelman, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs has welcomed this work to capture the views of rural businesses and communities and has asked us “
...to discuss with relevant departments and other bodies how best the CRC can support them in considering and, as appropriate, working with their proposals.”
We believe that our Agenda for change offers real and tangible measures that can be taken by many levels and segments of our economy and public sector. We would be pleased to explore with readers how your work can embrace rural needs and opportunities, and release more rural potential.
England’s countryside, villages and market towns host 9.8 million residents, 1 in 4 of England’s businesses, over 5 million employees and at least 19% of England’s GVA. With your support, public sector policies and activities for sustainable economic development, business support, education and training, investment, community engagement, regulation, spatial planning and communications, can grow this 20% share of England’s economy and help to overturn deficit and disadvantage.
Read Agenda for change at http://
ruralcommunities.gov.uk/2010/09/07/ agenda-for-change/
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Roger Turner is head of rural economies, Commission for Rural Communities
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