Local Action for Rural Communities – Briefing Update February 2009
New Scheme Managers appointed – Schemes expected to go ‘Live’ from April 2009
The three Local Action Schemes operating in Somerset have now appointed Scheme Managers. With the local partnerships, these Managers are now busy finalising their first year’s Annual Delivery Plan for agreement with the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA). They are also designing the procedures by which applicants can apply for some of the funding available through this Programme. All three Schemes expect to be open for business by April 2009.
Local Action for Rural Communities (LARC) is a new wave of European
funding that the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) has
been tasked to allocate by summer 2008. There are 15 LARC Schemes across the region that will run from 2008 to the end of 2013.
The aim of Local Action is to enable rural communities to look at new
opportunities to strengthen their local economy and to improve the quality of
life for people living in those communities. There is a strong emphasis on the Schemes delivering against the economic agenda.
Serving Somerset, there will be three Local Action Scheme serving different geographical areas:
· Western Somerset
· Somerset Levels & Moors
· Blackdown Hills & East Devon AONB (20% in Somerset)
Somerset County Council is the accountable body for the first two named Schemes, whilst Devon County Council takes on that role for the third. This role helps to ensure good management and administration of the Schemes.
Western Somerset
The geographical area includes the whole of West Somerset, the Somerset
part of Exmoor National Park, the Quantock Hills and Wiveliscombe and its
10-parish hinterland. The total population to be served is 58,000 and the amount awarded by SWRDA is £2.25m
The key aim of the programme is to move towards a low carbon economy
using this as a driver to provide new economic opportunities within the
following areas:
· consumption and production
· resource management
· transport
· tourism
· the environment
· supporting rural communities.
Somerset Levels & Moors
The geographical area stretches from the coast in the west to Glastonbury in
the east, and from the north western most border of Somerset to Martock in
the South. It expands the existing Levels & Moors LEADER+ programme area
around Langport, Somerton and Burnham. Total population of the area is
121,000. The total grant available over the period is £1.8m.
Six theme areas for projects in the Somerset Levels & Moors are proposed
with the first two being cross-cutting:
· Local governance and ownership
· Environmental sustainability
The following four Themes reflect subject areas for specific development and
support:
· Small business and social enterprise development and support
· Development of Local produce sectors
· Sustainable tourism
· Minimising impact: recycling; reducing; reusing.
Blackdown Hills & East Devon.
This builds on the existing LEADER+ area of the Blackdown Hills by
incorporating the East Devon AONB and stretching down to the Devon
coastline. £2.4m of grant aid will be available for this area. The Scheme aims to:
· ‘Enhance opportunity within the area by using its unique environmental
quality as a springboard to economic growth.’
And it is envisaged that this enhanced opportunity will be realised through two
key sub-aims:
· To increase the number of well planned, productive, ambitious
businesses through improving knowledge of local opportunities in
relation to markets, training facilities and innovation.
· To use the unique environmental quality of the Blackdown Hills and
East Devon area as a springboard to sustainable economic growth
through increased diversification, the development of local supply
chains, the sustainable use of resources and the promotion of
increased connectedness.
Contact Details
All three Schemes operating in Somerset will be developing their own websites and information sheets over the next few months. Please contact the Scheme managers direct for further information or to register your interest in receiving further information directly from them when it is available.
Blackdown Hills & East Devon LARC Scheme
Jenny Archard
01823 680626 & 07811 165407
jenny.archard@devon.gov.uk
Somerset Levels & Moors LARC Scheme
Alex Sherman
01458 251309 & 07823 537401
Western Somerset LARC Scheme
Anne-Marie Spalding
01823 355035 & 07887 951067
Paul Chadwick
SCC Rural Delivery Team Manager
January 29th 2009