Strong Rural Communities

Defra no longer have a responsibility to Government for sustainable Rural Communities. Instead they have a Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO) which sets their objectives for Strong Rural Communities.  This DSO will be monitored by Defra within the mainstreamed agenda across all Government departments within the new Sub National Review and LSP/LAA processes.

The RAF has two parallel interests firstly to support Defra in ensuring the Strong Rural Community concept is taken on board and monitored in the SNR but particularly by the LSPs and secondly to press Defra to ensure other Government Departments are aware of the Strong Rural Community message.  

We have created this special section of the website to keep you informed of these vital processes.

To do this we have a section on the Defra activity and one on the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) activities.

Defra publishes the way it intends to monitor its DSO  on delivering Stronger Rural Communities.
A must read for all involved in rural matters.  There is an introduction by Ron Scrutton 

A paper commenting on the Defra DSO measurement using the 198 indicator set. A response to the EFRA report comments.

The Rural Advocate Stuart Burgess has delivered his advice to the Prime Minister.
It was requested by the PM following the floods and the Foot and Mouth last autumn and was to cover strengthening rural economies. It contains some interesting recommendations as well as a good raft of evidence. Read the advice to the PM  

Setting the Scene
The Defra Secretary of State Mr Hilary Benn set out his views on the departments updated position on sustainable communities at the 80/20 Vision Conference in York.  He has since written to the RAFs and his letter is attached reiterating those views.

The Defra Select Committee 
This committee has refocused and recommenced its enquiry into Defra”s rural community  policy and how it is working.  We will post evidence as they take it.

Defra Select Committee verbal evidence from RELU (Prof Neil Ward) and from CRC 

Committee now taken verbal evidence from the Local Govt Association and from Regional Development Agencies.

Defra responds to Select Committee

CRC publish 10 big numbers 
Basically indicators to measure rural delivery

The CLG Activity

The Sustainable Communities Act 
The CLG is responsible for the Sustainable Communities Act and also the Empowerment White Paper.  There is considerable synergy and overlap in these two strategies. The Empowerment activity has a special sub section for your reference.  Remember that rural is now mainstreamed across Government Departments, so these activities of the CLG should be delivering to the rural population in an equitable way to that enjoyed by urban dwellers.

Local Works Calls for Action
The Sustainable Communities Act process has started! You and your communities can now drive the actions of government to protect Post Offices, increase bus services, restrict supermarkets, promote local renewable energy and much more.

But…

You can only use the Act’s process if your principal councils (i.e. District/Borough/City and County Councils) choose to use it too. If they do not then you can not use the Act at all. So it is crucial that councils hear loud and clear from you and other local residents that they should choose to use the Act.

ACTION - please help!

Please do the following:

1. Write to your councillors asking them to ‘Please pass a motion resolving to use the Sustainable Communities Act’. A sample letter with instructions is available on the Local Works website http://www.localworks.org

2. Ask other local people to write too - the more letters that councillors receive the better! So please forward this email to friends, family, neighbours, colleagues etc. If you want copies of the above sample letter to distribute please contact me on 020 7278 4443 or reply to this email.

Currently over 20 councils have already resolved to use the Act. This is very good news given that the process has only just started. You can see the full list on the front page of our website here: www.localworks.org. If one of these councils is your council please write to your councillors thanking them.

More information and guides on the Act are available at www.localworks.org. Please note - currently the Act only applies to England.

Thank you very much for your efforts!

Yours sincerely

Steve Shaw

Latest Updates

This manifesto from the Carnegie Trust is a MUST read for anyone involved with rural communities.  It is evidence based and illustrates how the many independent talents in our communities can be harnessed to build communities .It tackles square on the issues of our modern villages.

Mostly Urban building Stronger Communities but relevant

Sustainable Communities Act Fails to Inspire

Local Works Campaign Website for Implementing the Sustainable Communities Act