The RDPE comprises of a series of funding streams and is based on the
following overarching priorities:
- enhancing the environment and countryside – environmental
stewardship will be at the heart of this
- making agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable
– fostering a more competitive business environment through a focus
on skills, knowledge transfer and innovation
- enhancing opportunity in rural areas – investing in skills,
enterprise and innovation, targeting support to those in rural areas that
need it most, whether in the farming sector or the broader rural economy.
Further information on the national programme including budget, timetable
and question and answer brief can be found at on the
Defra website.
The RDPE will be delivered via the existing environmental stewardship
schemes, which will be the responsibility of Natural England, the Woodland
Grant Scheme, administered by the Forestry Commission and a new
socio-economic programme, which will replace the current project-based
schemes to be developed and managed by the regional development agencies.
In order to obtain formal sign off for the RPDE from the European
Commission, Defra is required to submit a programme document detailing how
the scheme will be delivered and what it will be targeted at. Each of the
regions has prepared a Regional Implementation Plan outlining their
investment priorities and delivery plans that will inform the national
programme.
Following a wide ranging consultation involving regional stakeholders, the
North East Implementation Plan (NEIP) has been developed by a steering
group comprising the delivery partners, Natural England, One NorthEast and
the Forestry Commission, supported by us. The latest version of the NEIP
(February 2008) is below. The North East priorities for the new programme
were agreed and are as follows:
- micro-enterprise development
- natural and cultural assets
- bioenergy
- sustainable communities
- sustainable farming and forestry
- tourism and recreation.
The latest version (February 2008) of the NEIP has recently been submitted
to Defra, along with the Implementation Plans for all the other English
regions.
The NEIP articulates the proposed principles, priorities and delivery
arrangements for the RDPE which will be developed over the forthcoming
months. However, further work is needed on the detailed delivery
arrangements which are currently being developed by the relevant delivery
bodies in association with key rural stakeholders. For further information
on the new delivery arrangements please visit the
North East RDPE website.
