Archived decisions

          APPENDIX 1

    Outline Framework for a Rural Delivery Strategy

    for Hampshire County Council

      1. Policy context

      2. Rural profile of Hampshire

      3. Key areas of delivery for each key workstream of the County Council

        - Affordable housing

        - Accessibility and transport

        - Economy, employment and skills

        - Farming and Forestry

        - Children's services

        - Green infrastructure and environment

        - Adult social care

        - Leisure and culture

      4. Commitment to Partnership working (building upon results of external consultation)

      5. Resourcing and Action Plan

      6. Review arrangements

                    APPENDIX 2

    Rural Delivery Strategy for Hampshire County Council

    Phase 2 - Consultation timeline and next steps

    Phase 1 - Internal consultation (May to July 2008)

    CMT/Cabinet Report (Key Policy Issues and proposed Actions)

    Phase 2 - External consultation (August to November 2008)

    Action

    Timeline

    Draft Hampshire County Council Rural Delivery Strategy Consultation document produced

    8 July to 25August

    (7 weeks)

    External Consultation

      · Consultation with stakeholders

      · Engaging regional and national agencies and government departments

    25 August to 16 November 2008

    (12 weeks)

    Leader's Stakeholder Symposium within consultation phase to receive feedback and input to the development of the Rural Delivery Strategy - possible link to launch of the Hampshire Rural Forum

    14 October 2008 (provisional date)

    Responses to Consultation document considered and incorporated in revised Rural Delivery Strategy and Action Plan

    November 2008

    Final CMT /Cabinet report for endorsement and implementation

    Provisional dates not yet scheduled

    28 November - CMT draft report

    3 December - CMT

    12 December - Cabinet Officer's briefing

    22 December - Cabinet Chairman's briefing

    9 January 2009 - Cabinet despatch

    19 January 2009 - Cabinet

    Rural Delivery Strategy APPENDIX 3

    EARLY INTERVENTIONS

    The following early interventions are achievable within available resources and by placing additional focus on the specific issues in relation to rural areas.

    Activity

    · Utilise the forthcoming Rural Transport Pilot initiatives to develop models for cost-effective access to key services in rural areas.

    · Utilise the forthcoming Review of Community Transport and Demand Responsive Services to inform future service delivery arrangements to maximise the effectiveness of service delivery in rural areas.

    · Use the current Putting People First Commission to develop flexible approaches to the personalisation of care in rural areas.

    · Evaluate the Community Innovations Flagship Pilot Project (helping people with low and moderate needs in rural areas) with a view to expanding provision.

    · Roll out another geographical area for the Out of Town Project (increasing social and support services for older people).

    · Increasing small grants scheme for parishes to support Access to the Countryside.

    · Increasing the Hog the Limelight programme providing Arts, performance and activities in rural villages.

    · Supporting a Village Hall Adviser post, for which Central Government funding has been withdrawn.

    · Develop mobile service delivery as part of the Children's Centre Partnership with the NHS (bringing specialist services to rural areas).

    · Apply rural weighting as part of the Early Years Service.

      · Develop the successful Community Safety Officer parish response deployments and recording of incidents in support of tackling community safety in rural and rural fringe areas.

    APPENDIX 4

                      Hampshire Rural Delivery Strategy

    Supporting Hampshire's Rural Communities

    Policy Context

    Hampshire's Rural Areas

    General introduction

    Hampshire's rural areas are an integral part of the county and make a crucial contribution to its overall health - economic, social and environmental. There is a strong interdependence between town and countryside in the county, and it is important to develop the links between the two. Where the countryside meets the town, pro-active policies and programmes for the urban fringe, such as the provision of green infrastructure, can improve the quality of life of both urban and rural residents and businesses.

    Issues

    For many years planning policies have worked to protect rural Hampshire from harmful development. Strongly held views prevail on all aspects of rural life, and many people want this level of protection to continue, or be increased.

    However, the Hampshire countryside is also subject to deep-rooted changes, including a revolution in the way that much of the land is used, the impacts of development pressures and climate change. Rural settlements are under great pressure to survive as viable communities. Services in many villages are being cut back or withdrawn completely. People are almost totally dependent on private means of transport to reach work, services or leisure facilities. Affordable housing is difficult to find for key workers and low and middle income families. Deprived individuals or families are dispersed throughout the rural areas, requiring different interventions compared with those in urban communities. The numbers of people affected may be much smaller than in urban areas, but the issues are just as real, with polarisation between affluence and poverty within the same communities. On the other hand, the county's attractive countryside, villages and market towns have never been so prized.

    Change and challenges

    Change is inevitable - however strongly it might be resisted - and the key challenge is to ensure that it is managed in the right way. The Hampshire countryside is a place where people live and work; they need and expect some change and new development to occur to meet their economic and social needs. Protective policies alone will not be enough; overly restrictive policies may cause decline, and a more flexible, sensitive and innovative approach to rural policies and service delivery will be needed.

    The main challenges for Hampshire's rural policies and service delivery will be to balance the different needs of people living or working in or visiting the countryside - to find ways of allowing rural businesses and communities to thrive while safeguarding and improving the distinctiveness and special character of the countryside, historic towns and villages. An integrated and sustainable approach is needed which encourages investment and provides affordable housing, support for local businesses, local employment, ICT, basic services and access to them for people living in rural areas. Good accessibility is one of the keys to achieving sustainable rural communities. This can be achieved through more flexible transport solutions and looking at other ways of improving accessibility, such as the use of ICT, mobile services or the multiple use of community facilities and vehicles.

    The Economy

    The economy in rural areas has traditionally been underpinned by farming and land-based industries. However, the industry is going through substantial change with CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reform and now employs very few people. The County Council has helped address these changes by providing substantial support for the development of added value farm-based businesses, often channelled through farm shops or farmers' markets.

    Many rural settlements no longer offer any employment opportunities locally, and high levels of housing demand have pushed up prices to the exclusion of local people, who find it difficult either to find a job or a home. Many farm businesses import seasonal migrant labour to fill vacancies and house them in their own accommodation for this reason.

    In some areas, professional and trade businesses have been able to move into converted farm buildings. Local service businesses (e.g. village shops/post offices) continue to be squeezed by retail centres in urban areas, and often need significant community or public support to remain viable.

    The internet revolution does however provide an opportunity for a `rural renaissance'. High speed broadband access has enabled many more people to work from home or set up business in remoter locations. This can also contribute to higher levels of demand for local services as people buy in their local community rather than at the place of work.

    A recent report from the Commission for Rural Communities estimates that if rural firms were to generate turnover levels comparable to the rural share of employment or enterprises in England, "the unfulfilled potential growth in output could reach around £300bn nationally." There are thus undoubtedly significant opportunities to help rural business to grow. Key contributions can be made by providing more workspace, improving skills and the development of more `green tourism'.

    Rural Communities

    The county's rural communities make a key contribution towards its distinctive character. This valuable resource can be strengthened through community engagement, capacity building and the management and resourcing of community initiatives. The links between community planning and Hampshire County Council's plans and activities could be improved to assist local communities; improve democratic engagement; manage community expectations of the County Council more realistically; integrate service delivery, and target funding to projects with an identified need.

    A network of smaller towns (also known as market towns) and key villages should be promoted throughout Hampshire. These settlements can play a vital role in supporting rural areas as service centre and local hubs. They provide services and infrastructure to surrounding rural areas and a variety of jobs; are often the focus of public transport routes, and embody many facets of sustainability and social cohesion. They can, for example, meet many of the needs of the increasing proportion of older residents and give them opportunities to engage in the local community.

    Interventions should reinforce the individual roles and character of these key settlements, and improve their economic competitiveness by building on inherent strengths and developing niche roles, the service and retail base and tourism. Many Hampshire towns and some villages also have the potential to accommodate some sensitively-designed, small-scale residential development, particularly for affordable and key worker housing, balanced with the development of new small-scale workplaces. Effective, locally-tailored strategies for transport and accessibility will be crucial.

Farming and forestry

    Farming and forestry, both of which are undergoing substantial change, remain crucial in managing the countryside as well as producing food, fuel, fibres, pharmaceuticals and other products. An economically viable land management sector has an essential role to play in managing the landscape and biodiversity and providing opportunities for recreation and tourism and water management. Income from non-farm diversification and added value products is increasingly important to sustain farming. Farming needs assistance to deal with animal diseases and to develop products more compatible with a market-driven sector.

    Environment

    The rural environment is central to the economic prosperity of the county and its desirability as a place to live or work in or to visit. 98% of a MORI poll response agreed that: "the countryside is important to the quality of life of Hampshire residents." The county has an exceptionally diverse and attractive countryside. Around one third is designated or proposed as a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and large areas are designated for their national or international importance to biodiversity, in addition to other areas rich in biodiversity.

    The rights of way network, coast and wider countryside provide opportunities for recreation and education and contribute towards health and well-being of urban and rural residents. The countryside also provides natural resources such as agricultural land, minerals and water, and is the location for other uses serving urban needs such as for renewable energy and the re-use and recycling of material resources. Policies need to maintain and improve this highly valued environment, celebrating and respecting the county's many different landscapes and habitats, not by blanket protection but by sensitive planning and design.

    Rural profile

    The Socio-Economic Profile of Rural Hampshire being developed by the Environment Department provides more detailed information on the county's rural area, including population, deprivation, economic prosperity, employment, housing, infrastructure and transport.

    National policy context

    The policy framework for rural delivery in Hampshire is strongly influenced by decisions made far beyond the county boundary. The Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013, for example, is jointly funded by the Government and the European Union. The programme aims to help farmers to manage the land more sustainably, make agriculture and forestry more competitive and enhance opportunities in rural areas.

    The national policy framework increasingly recognises the diversity of communities and that local areas need the flexibility to respond to local circumstances. The Government's Rural Strategy 2004 led to a programme to modernise the delivery of rural services, making delivery more efficient, streamlined and customer-focused. Linked to this, Hampshire County Council led the Rural Pathfinder Programme for the South East Region, one of eight Government pilots in England, to test innovative ways of delivering rural services. There are opportunities to use the lessons from the programme in developing the county council's Rural Delivery Strategy. Hampshire County Council also influences rural policy at the national and regional levels through other mechanisms - for example, through representation on the LGA Rural Commission - and has long had an excellent reputation for much of its rural work.

    Regional Policy Context

    At the regional level, the non-statutory South East Rural Delivery Framework sets out the key issues and priorities for the region. The Regional Delivery Framework pulls together the existing plans and strategies relating to the rural South East, to allow the region to co-ordinate activity and funding more effectively and sustainably to achieve common objectives. The framework and subsequent action plan aim to set the priorities for the rural South East and to reflect the three priorities of rural policy - Economic and Social Regeneration, Social Justice for All and Enhancing the Value of our Countryside. The framework and its associated structures are currently being reviewed, with proposals to strengthen the involvement of local government.

    Hampshire Policy Context

    The Hampshire Sustainable Community Strategy acknowledges the importance of Hampshire's high quality environment in providing the high quality of life sought by people wishing to work, live or visit the area. Indeed, tourism is an important driver for the prosperity of the area in terms of employment and the viability of services and facilities which are important to strong communities. In short, this is a virtuous circle.

    Although there are some references to rural areas in the draft Hampshire Local Area Agreement, all of the national indicators chosen apply county-wide. There may be a need to approach delivery differently in rural areas through "rural proofing".


    What is "rural proofing"?

    Mainstream policies and programmes should apply to all of Hampshire. "Rural proofing" is about trying to ensure equitable delivery of mainstream area-wide targets in rural as much as in other areas. This means that, as policies and programmes are developed and implemented, policy makers should seek to understand whether they have a differential impact in rural areas because of differing circumstances. The socio-economic profile and appendices to this report touch on what these differences might be (such as the dispersed nature of deprivation in rural areas, isolation, poor accessibility, higher costs in service delivery, older age structure, problems in recruiting staff and the importance of informal voluntary networks). If the impacts are different, policy makers should consider how interventions might be adapted to fit different rural circumstances.

    This does not mean that there needs to be additional impact assessment or complicated guidance on rurality. Instead, the way to achieve this is through informal "rural proofing" of policies and programmes as they are prepared. Developing the evidence base will help, as will raising awareness and understanding of rural issues across the county council. The new Hampshire Rural Forum should assist by acting as an independent `critical friend' to the County Council to provide feedback and advice.