Regional News Articles

Game Shooting Report Launched

The results of a new report entitled The Role of Game Shooting in Exmoor have just been revealed. The study was commissioned by Exmoor National Park Authority with funding also provided by the South West of England Regional Development Agency, the Countryside Agency, Somerset and Devon county councils and West Somerset and North Devon district councils and supported by the Greater Exmoor Shoots Association (GESA).

The report, which was commissioned to provide evidence of the contribution that game shooting makes to the economy of Exmoor National Park and surrounding areas, reveals that game shooting on Exmoor contributes £18 million to the wider UK economy and that 1,600 full and part-time jobs in the Greater Exmoor area are supported by the provision of shooting activities (260 full-time equivalent - paid and unpaid). Read more.....

View Shooting Study 2006 final Report

Towards 2015 - The Rural Dimension - A Framework for Action

As you may be aware South West Tourism has been undertaking a review of the needs of the tourism sector in rural areas and how the aims and objectives of Towards 2015 (the South West Regional Tourism Strategy) can be delivered to support the rural economy and help sustain viable communities.

Annette Cole and Malcolm Bell have been meeting with key industry members and some partners and stakeholders over the last few months to prepare an analysis and suggested approach in order to stimulate debate and lead to the production of a Rural Tourism Development Plan and a Framework for Action.

View information about the consultation

Consultation: England's trees, woods and forests

A consultation to update the England Forestry Strategy is running until 9th August 2006 and this is your chance to contribute to the way Government delivers its policies for trees, woods and forests over the coming decade.

To input your views to the consultation process download "England's trees, woods and forests: a consultation document".

SW CoRE are holding a consultation meeting in Exeter at 4pm on Wednesday 19th July. For more information, or to book a place, contact SW CoRE.

Rural Affairs Forum Looks for New Members

The South West Rural Affairs Forum is looking for new members to use their expertise and experience in planning for the region’s rural future.

In the past four years, the South West Rural Affairs Forum has made an important contribution to helping ensure a rural dimension is reflected in regional and national policy-making on a wide range of issues, including housing, planning, sustainable food and farming and young people’s needs. Read More

Hill Farming Website for Uplands Charity

As of Friday 17 March, 2006 the website for the David Arnold-Forster Trust hill farming charity has been set up and running: www.hillfarming.org.uk

The site will be revised every so often for improvement over the coming weeks, so please pass your comments to: John Varley, Chairman of Trustees, on 01395 441144 or 07968 628749 and he will make sure that they are considered.

New Chairman of the Farming and Food Futures Group

We are pleased to announce that John Lee will be the new Chairman of the South West Farming and Food Futures Group.

John’s appointment is effective from 1st March 2006 and his first task will be to complete a review the region’s structures relating to Sustainable Farming and Food (SFF), including the Farming and Food Futures Group (SFF steering group) and the role of the Topic Leads.

View the Full Announcement

View the April 2006 Farming and Foods Futures Newsletter

Rural Enterprise Gateway's Collaboration Service Tender Bid

ENTERPRISE GATEWAY’S COLLABORATION SERVICE

The Rural Enterprise Gateway (REG) is a project that helps rural businesses to develop and adapt to change. It offers a region-wide package of support for rural businesses and is integral to the South West’s Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food.

The Collaboration Service is one strand of a package of support for groups of agricultural and other rural businesses available through the Rural Enterprise Gateway.

View the Tender Document for the Rural Enterprise Gateway's Collaboration Service

Gateway Spells Success for Rural Enterprises

Article within the Western Morning News - 8 March, 2006.

The success of the Rural Enterprise Gateway service is rapidly giving the lie to the notion that South West farmers are incapable of working collaboratively to run their businesses more efficiently and market their outputs more effectively. Read the Full Article

#Getting to the CoRE of countryside 'new speak' for farmings future

The only things that change about change are its pace and complexity. This is especially true about what is known as ‘rural governance’ – jargon for the way the countryside is run. No longer is it ‘beer and sandwiches’ with Ministers – in fact there isn’t even a Ministry for farming any more. Nailing jelly to the wall would seem less frustrating than having to swim through the treacle of ‘new speak’ which is now the order of the day, but somebody MUST do it if the countryside is to get a fair deal, and South West British Farmer and Grower editor Ian Johnson has been talking to Gillian Collins who is in the front line on behalf of agriculture and other land-based industries. Read the full article

Biomass Opportunities Strategy for Devon

Devon Wildlife Trust has secured support from the Environment Agency and The Countryside Agency to fund the preparation of a "Biomass Opportunities Strategy" for Devon. They are keen to ensure that land managers and advisors and all those influencing land management have access to a guidance tool that can clearly identify environmentally sensitive areas where particular energy crops should be avoided, as well as those areas where opportunities exist to grow such crops.

The study will need to consider a wide range of potential constraints and important factors including landscape, biodiversity and the historic resource. A draft outline for the "Strategy" will be available for a meeting in January 2006.

For more information contact Lynne Kenderdine on 01392 279244

Taking on Migrant Workers

What if the ideal person for your job was in another European country?

How would you know?

If you haven’t found the right person for your job, try broadening your search to include European nationals living elsewhere in Europe.

View the leaflet for more information

View a list of contact details of contacts who would be happy to discuss any queries you may have on the subject.

Chinese Visit to Devon Countryside

Devon was visited today by a representative from China who is keen to learn from local landowners and farmers about their agricultural business practices and how they manage the Devon landscape bfor sustainability.

Representative Guihua Ma, from the Chinese News Agency, made the important visit to the county “to learn from the experiences of industrialised countries like the UK as to how rural development issues are being tackled – and Devon was recommended as an excellent example of sustainable farming and landscape practices." View the full press release

Learning and Skills Council - Eating out in Gloucestershire to National Standard

lsc logo Thanks to a £90,000 investment by The Learning and Skills Council in Gloucestershire, pubs, restaurants and hotels across the county are set to become the best managed in the country. And according to top Gloucestershire chef, Robert Rees, who’s pioneering this new training programme for chefs and senior management in the county’s catering industry, it’s good news for customers too.

“A well-managed restaurant means properly sourced produce, better prepared food and a more enjoyable experience for customers,” he said. “Gloucestershire is well recognised for the high quality provision of many of its pubs, hotels and restaurants all set in a truly beautiful county. But other areas of the country are catching us up; to maintain our pre-eminence we need to invest in high quality leadership and management training for senior members of our industry so that they can pass on this knowledge to their staff and raise standards even higher. The Learning and Skills Council recognised this and I am delighted that they have committed such a significant sum to help us achieve this aim.”

The objective of this two-year project is to deliver a legacy of economic growth across the county, in tourism and leisure, one of it’s most important industry sectors.

View the Full Press Release - 28 November 2005

Farm Business Advice Service

Business Link - Delivering in the South West

The aims of the service are to help farmers understand the financial implications of the Single Payment Scheme on their business and to guidance on how they can respond to such issues.

View more information in our Bulletin

(Click on the image to view their leaflet)

Farming and Food Futures - Sir Don Curry

'Delivering Curry means Hot Seat for Tim' - article from NFU's British Farmer and Grower magazine.

April 2005

SW Regional Woodland & Forestry Framework 2005

Cardinham Forest, Cornwall Our woods and forests make a major contribution to the vitality, attractiveness and diversity of the region. The region's woods and forests also provide a service to the whole of the UK, enhancing the region's attractiveness to visitors from across the country and beyond.

This Framework aims to be the first point of focus on the future of the region's woods and forests and sets out the priority for activity.

Download a PDF version of the Framework or visit the Forestry Commission and GOSW websites for more information.

Clinton Devon Estates Win Highly Prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise

Landowner Clinton Devon Estates are the very proud recipients of the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category of Sustainable Development.

An official presentation took place on 14th September, at which Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Devon made the presentation to Lord Clinton.

As the Award's oldest ever winner this is a great honour for the Estate and reflects the work which they carry out in maintaining the countryside and the landscape benefits this brings to Devon and the South West region. queensawardcde

The Award press release gives more information, including comments from John Varley, Director of Clinton Devon Estates and Director of SW CoRE, together with the QA Citation Statement. The Sustainability Appraisal gives a more detailed background to the Estates approach to Sustainable Development, the basis for winning the Award. (Left: Lord Lieutenant of Devon, middle: Lord Clinton, right: John Varley, Estates Director).

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English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP)

Please find below Case studies, provided by Liz Bowles of English Farming & Food Partnerships, that EFFP launched at the Royal show on 4th July. These exemplify how working together has been of huge benefit to many businesses.

EFFP South West Case Studies

To view the South West press release click here.

To view more information about EFFP click here.

Regional Spatial Strategy & Regional Economic Strategy

It is hoped that the two frameworks of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) will develop a common and consistent agenda, which describes the rural economy and recognises the specialist nature of the countryside and land-based community.

Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)
The Regional Assembly was designated the South West’s Regional Planning Body (RPB) on 28 September 2004.

The Assembly, as RPB, is required to review and revise the existing Regional Planning Guidance. This was first published in 2001 as the RPG10 and is now called the RSS.
The Assembly, as RPB, is required to develop a new RSS for 2006 – 2026. This will set a regional framework for development.
The Assembly has recently consulted on the most appropriate way for development to happen in the South West over the next 20 years through development of the Regional Spatial Strategy.

For more information visit the Regional Spatial Strategy section of the RA's website.

RSS Update

Following a busy summer of consultation on the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy, the Regional Assembly is delighted to publish it's third RSS Update. Inside this issue: -

So What's Been Happening
Sustainability Issues
What Happens Next?
JSAs & Housing Numbers
FAQ's

Regional Economic Strategy

The RES for the South West of England was launched on 7th April 2003 with the message: "Our Future is truly in Our Hands".

The RES provides a framework for all economic development activity in the South West of England and aims to give a framework in which public, private and community bodies can plan and work towards common objectives.
The South West RDA is required by the government to keep the Strategy under review. A review is being carried out during 2005 and a new Strategy will be published in April 2006.

For more information visit the Regional Economic Strategy section of the RDA's website.

Rural Futures

rural futures logo

The Rural Futures Unit was developed partly to create productive links between University of Plymouth academics with interests in rural issues and between those academics and people engaged in the process of rural development, be they government, business or otherwise.

To view their latest bulletin which gives an idea of just some of the rural-related activities and programmes that the university is involved in, click here. To find out more, please email the Unit at ruralfutures@plymouth.ac.uk or ring Susie Bissell on 01752 238462. Their website is www.geog.plym.ac.uk/ruralfutures

The South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path is a truly regional asset, following the coastline from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset.
Swcoastpath
For more information visit the South West Coast website.