Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA has this week outlined progress on the outcome of his Rural Policy Framework consultation during an Assembly statement.
The minister told the Assembly: “Over one third of people living in Northern Ireland live in rural areas. As Rural Champion I want to move these communities forward I want to deliver initiatives that address barriers to sustainable growth and promote equal access to services. This means dealing with issues such as connectivity, economic development, environmental challenges, poverty, loneliness and isolation in rural areas.
“I want to thank everyone who responded to the consultation and their overwhelming endorsement of the framework. We received 105 written responses from across the rural community, including several rural support networks representing the views of 915 community and voluntary groups. Responses ranged from issues which fall under the remit of the Rural Needs Act such as rural housing to partnership across private, public and third sectors to business investment to environmental sustainability and climate change.”
The Rural Policy Framework focuses on five Thematic Pillars supported by nineteen priorities for intervention. These will help to create a sustainable rural community where people want to live, work and be active in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. The Thematic Pillars were agreed and developed as part of a comprehensive engagement process with rural stakeholders over a two year period. The 5 Thematic Pillars will support initiatives in: Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Sustainable Tourism; Health and Wellbeing; Employment; and Connectivity.
He continued: “I have also invested some £6.2million in nine pilot schemes in the last year to help test the assumptions in the Rural Policy Framework ranging from rural tourism to business investment to rural broadband to rural halls and community rescue funding.
“I plan to formally launch the Rural Policy Framework in coming weeks and the framework will drive a new Rural Business and Community Investment Programme.”
In conclusion, he added: “We must now look to a post Covid-19 future embracing opportunities that Green Growth, globalisation and technological innovation present to help deliver future programmes. If we get it right the benefits to our rural economy will be substantial and will no doubt make rural Northern Ireland a place where people want to live, work and be active.”
1. Access the Minister’s statement in full online at: https://bit.ly/34dtUvI
2. The development of the new Programme will be informed by the detailed evaluation of a range of pilot schemes developed by the Department and many of which are well underway. These pilot schemes were developed to help test the assumptions in the Rural Policy Framework and provided £6.2m of investment in rural communities in 2021/22. There are nine pilot schemes in total which to date include:
- The Website Development Programme (£0.25million);
- Rural Tourism Collaborative Experiences (£0.46million);
- Rural Micro Business Growth Scheme (£0.16million);
- Rural Social Economy Investment Scheme (£0.4million);
- Micro Food Business Investment Scheme £0.2million);
- Rural Halls Refurbishment Scheme (£1.07million);
- Rural Community Pollinator Garden Scheme (£1.69million); Rural Digital Inclusion Scheme (£20,000); and Rural Community Rescue Scheme (£1.9million).
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Notes to editors:
1. Access the Minister’s statement in full online at: https://bit.ly/34dtUvI
2. The development of the new Programme will be informed by the detailed evaluation of a range of pilot schemes developed by the Department and many of which are well underway. These pilot schemes were developed to help test the assumptions in the Rural Policy Framework and provided £6.2m of investment in rural communities in 2021/22. There are nine pilot schemes in total which to date include:
- The Website Development Programme (£0.25million);
- Rural Tourism Collaborative Experiences (£0.46million);
- Rural Micro Business Growth Scheme (£0.16million);
- Rural Social Economy Investment Scheme (£0.4million);
- Micro Food Business Investment Scheme £0.2million);
- Rural Halls Refurbishment Scheme (£1.07million);
- Rural Community Pollinator Garden Scheme (£1.69million); Rural Digital Inclusion Scheme (£20,000); and Rural Community Rescue Scheme (£1.9million).
3. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook.
4. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office.
5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hour’s service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.