Rural business in the North West and Southern England will now have a hotline direct to government as three new Rural and Farming Networks are announced by Environment Minister Richard Benyon.
Fourteen Rural and Farming Networks were set up at the start of the year to identify and feed back local issues and concerns straight to the heart of Government, in order to make policies more rural-friendly.
The three new Rural and Farming Networks announced today are:
- The Wessex Rural and Farming Network;
- Cumbria & North Lancashire Farming, Food & Rural Group; and
- Cheshire, South and West Lancashire, Merseyside & Manchester Land Use Farming & Rural Group.
Environment Minister, Richard Benyon said "We are giving rural communities a new voice so that their interests will not be neglected by Government as they have been in the past.
"Great business ideas should never be held back by the challenges of a rural location. These Rural and Farming Networks are making us aware of the problems that local businesses face so that we can tackle them and provide the right opportunities for businesses to grow."
Each group will also be a vital point of contact in the event of local emergencies ’ such as flooding - giving advice and information so that the right kind of assistance can be provided to keep businesses running.’
The new networks sit alongside a £165 million package of measures to support rural communities announced in the Rural Economy Growth Review which aims to maximise the economic potential of rural communities and businesses. The Rural Economy Growth Review included:
£100 million to grow rural businesses through the Rural Development Programme for England;
Grants totalling £20 million to extend superfast broadband to the remotest areas;
New Rural Growth Networks to help rural areas overcome barriers to growth such as poor’’ infrastructure, scarcity of business premises and lack of business networks;
’Action to cut red tape on use of farm buildings to address the shortage of rural business premises;
£25 million to promote rural tourism and supporting its businesses; and
Loans totalling ’20 million for community-owned renewable energy schemes.
The Rural and Farming Network will meet for the first time in early 2012 and then on individual policy areas or issues of importance to rural communities.
