1. What are rural areas? What do we mean by rural development? Michael Winter Centre for Rural Research University of Exeter

2. Rurality is land

3. The UK landscape Crops and bare fallow Grasses and rough grazing Woodland Other agricultural Urban Approximately three quarters of UK land is dedicated to agriculture.

4. Rurality is people too 

5. SW RegionPopulation ‘000s Cumulative change from 2002 ‘000s 19964841.5 20025001.8 20055074.297.6 20105189.6213.0 20205428.7452.1

6. Characteristics of rural economies Firms located in rural districts represent nearly a third of all registered businesses in England, with 8% more per head of population than urban areas. Microbusinesses, employing under ten people, are predominant in the countryside. Business start-ups and turnover are slightly higher in rural areas than urban.

7. Rural areas have a higher proportion of self- employed (9% of people of working age) compared to 6.5% in urban areas. Rural wages are 88% of urban wages and rising more slowly (5.2% compared with 7.3%). Declining levels of certain services, e.g. village shops and post offices. Since 1997, declining agricultural incomes.

8. Lowe 1999: residents in remote rural areas found between 80-90% of jobs in rural areas, those in accessible rural areas only 40-60%. The 3 remote rural zones studied were found to ‘have rather self-contained labour markets with limited inflows and outflows’ which was even true of over 70 % of managers and professionals.

9. Rural development is about change

10. A Framework for Rural Development Sustainable Rural Development – Equity –inter and intra generational. Policy Integration - economic, social and environmental. Environmental Integrity – limits, the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, maintaining natural diversity. Subsidiarity

11. How is Rural Development being achieved? From Agricultural to Rural Policy From Government to Governance Regionalism

12. The Rural Strategy 2004

13. a major change to rural policy..... ….. although not obvious at first sight

14. Objectives of rural policy economic & social regeneration social justice for all enhancing the value of the countryside targeting resources at areas of greatest need

15. Regional rural delivery frameworks simplify service delivery to customers agree regional rural priorities, and ensure action is being taken to address them ensure rural issues properly integrated into other regional strategies link regional and local level rural policy and delivery, especially with Local Authorities and voluntary sector

16. Stakeholder and customer engagement At local level through Community Planning and Market & Coastal Town Initiative. Regionally, to be reinforced through Rural Affairs Forums to … –ensure effective customer input to regional and national rural policy making –say how well services are being delivered –have regular discussions with Ministers about how well policies are working