Leader 4 delivers rural investment programme to Torridge and North Devon

PRESS RELEASE                           

18th February 2014

A major five year programme providing funding and development support to projects throughout North Devon is being celebrated, after helping to lever in around £7 million of investment to the local economy.

The five year Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon Programme - run by accountable body, North Devon+ - aimed to improve the environment, the quality of life and bring prosperity for Torridge and North Devon’s rural communities.

Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon, which ended last month, provided £3.14 million in funding. It supported 162 projects, 104 of which were for small businesses.

Katy Graham, Leader 4 Programme Manager said: “The Leader 4 programme has been a massive success, helping our area to prosper economically and environmentally, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for communities and businesses.

“A key factor in this success is that projects are driven by the local community, giving decision making to a partnership of local people from the business, community, voluntary and public sectors.

“We were the third largest out of 64 programmes across England and one of the few that not only fully allocated our budget to projects, but were also successful in gaining additional funds right at the end of the programme.”

Vivian Gale, Chairman of the decision making Local Action Group said: “From the very start, Leader 4 has funded a wide range of innovative projects including 97 grants to small businesses to help them grow, developing Combe Martin Museum to provide tourist information services, the Ilfracombe Healthy Town scheme, the purchase of the Appledore to Instow Ferry and helping local radio station ‘The Voice’ expand their service onto FM. All of these have undoubtedly helped Leader 4 to achieve its aim of enhancing the socio economic wellbeing of the North Devon and Torridge and I am proud of our success.”

One of the largest areas of support for the programme was for community buildings, with over a third of Leader 4 funding being spent on these important assets.

This project issued grants to 16 community buildings across the area, helping to ensure future sustainability - environmentally, economically and also in terms of governance.

It included building a brand new parish hall in Bishops Nympton, creating the community owned workspaces at High Bickington and establishing an interactive exhibition space at Fremington Quay Heritage Centre.

Vivian Gale continued: “We recognised that community buildings, such as village halls, are at the heart of rural communities. They are valuable assets, a focus for group activities and often house a range of services, allowing people to work, rest and play.

“It is fantastic that through Leader 4 funding we’ve been able to provide a more secure future for these buildings so rural communities can benefit and thrive.”

A final event to mark successful completion of the programme was held on 24th January at Bishops Nympton. Grant beneficiaries from businesses, public bodies and the community and voluntary sector, together with representatives from local councils and other partners, joined to celebrate the programme’s achievements.

Following the success of Leader 4 it is hoped to secure further funding in the future. North Devon+ will soon begin a programme of consultation to secure funding for a new LEADER programme to commence in January 2015.

“The next programme will have an even greater focus on the rural economy including supporting jobs and growth.

“We would very much like to hear from anyone about their experiences of Leader 4, as well as ideas for how the future programme could look. We are also very keen to hear the views of local people, businesses and organisations on what the priorities for northern Devon could be.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors
For more information regarding this press release contact: Emma Parker Reynolds at Coast on 07944 36063107944 360631 or the Coast main office on 01752 84713501752 847135.

About North Devon+
North Devon+ is the chief economic delivery agency for North Devon and Torridge. We aim to deliver positive change, creating a more productive economy and more prosperous communities. Our role is to ensure our area thrives as a place in which to live, learn, work and visit. Our primary focus is on regeneration, tourism and business development. We work with Torridge District Council, North Devon Council, Devon County Council and the private sector to deliver projects and initiatives that encourage and support business growth, improve quality of life, and address social and economic inequalities. North Devon+ is a member of the National Enterprise Network. To find out more visit www.northdevonplus.co.uk

Leader:

• The Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon programme is now closed, it ran between 2008-2013, one of 64 programmes in England. This was the third largest English programme, in terms of EU funding for projects.
• The programme supported 162 projects – 104 of these were direct support to small businesses through two small grant schemes.
• The total amount of RDPE (Rural Development Programme for England) funding that went to projects was £3.14 million, the total project value (including match funding) is £6.468 million.
• The Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon Community Buildings Report contains information on the 16 community buildings projects supported, including the new Bishops Nympton Parish Hall and the community owned workspaces at High Bickington. The report is available on the Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon website http://www.leader4.org/index.asp  
• Representing a wide range of local people, the members of the Local Action Group formed the Leader 4 Programme’s overall steering group. Giving their time and skills on a voluntary basis, the group had responsibility for taking all major decisions affecting successful delivery of the programme

THE PROGRAMME AIM

"An enlivened and enriched rural environment in transition to a low carbon economy, driven by entrepreneurial growth and a ‘can-do' culture"

Objectives and Activities

1. To raise and support growth aspirations of rural micro businesses

1.1 To stimulate growth in micro businesses

1.2 To improve ICT Infrastructure and usage for rural businesses

1.3 To develop community owned or managed workspaces

1.4 To increase workforce skills levels

2. To improve access to services and employment in deprived rural communities

2.1 To improve community owned facilities for local service delivery

2.2 To pilot innovative approaches to rural service delivery

2.3 To reduce barriers to training and employment for deprived communities

3. To develop the assets and resources of the high quality environment as an economic driver

3.1 To develop sustainable physical activities and access to the coast and countryside

3.2 To develop sustainable heritage/cultural activities and products

3.3 To develop skills, assets and resources to create employment in remote rural areas

4. To improve the environmental performance of communities and businesses to create a low carbon economy

4.1 To increase sustainability of communities and businesses

5. To build capacity, leadership and cooperation for sustainable community led regeneration

5.1 To increase joint working and cooperation among businesses and communities

5.2 To provide skills and knowledge to engage in regeneration projects

WHAT CAN THE PROGRAMME FUND?

The Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon Programme will fund new and innovative projects which contribute to the programme objectives and meet the needs of the area.

All projects will require some additional funding from public or private sources to match the grant.

The amount of grant given to any project will vary from 10% to 70% depending on the type of activity. Applicants can be from the community, voluntary, business or public sector.

The programme will prioritise projects and activities which meet sustainable development and low carbon criteria. All applications will be subject to an independent environmental appraisal.

Background information on the Rural Development Programme for England

RDPE

The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) runs from 2007 to 2013. It is the 2nd pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy and aims to support the creation of genuinely sustainable farming, forestry and food sectors, whilst also bringing wider benefits for the economy, the environment and rural communities. It provides the major financial vehicle for protecting and enhancing the environment and securing a range of public benefits for society.

The RDPE has three priorities for rural development:-

• Improving competitiveness of the agriculture and forestry sector
• Improving the environment and the countryside
• Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification of economic activity

The RDPE priority for improving the environment and the countryside is being delivered nationally

by the Forestry Commission’s Woodland Grant Scheme and Natural England’s Environmental

Stewardship Scheme

Defra will deliver priorities 1 and 3 with a budget of £156.8 million over the seven years. Defra is also responsible for ensuring that five per cent of the RDPE funding is spent on enabling community involvement in rural development. The delivery partners in the South West aim to ensure that investment in each of the three priorities will help support investment in the others.

Part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in Rural Areas

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Notes to Editors

For more information regarding this press release contact: Emma Parker Reynolds at Coast on 07944 36063107944 360631 or the Coast main office on 01752 84713501752 847135.

CallSend SMSAdd to SkypeYou'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype

About North Devon
North Devon is the chief economic delivery agency for North Devon and Torridge.  We aim to deliver positive change, creating a more productive economy and more prosperous communities.  Our role is to ensure our area thrives as a place in which to live, learn, work and visit.  Our primary focus is on regeneration, tourism and business development.  We work with Torridge District Council, North Devon Council, Devon County Council and the private sector to deliver projects and initiatives that encourage and support business growth, improve quality of life, and address social and economic inequalities.  North Devon is a member of the National Enterprise Network.  To find out more visit www.northdevonplus.co.uk

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