Government announces sweeping changes to how the countryside is run
[22 July 2004]
The Government's plans to deliver sustainable reforms for rural communities and the countryside have been announced by Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Rural Strategy 2004, which follows on from the Haskins Report of last November, will for the first time link nature conservation and landscape protection to provide a more joined up approach to countryside issues. The strategy sets out three key priorities:
Social and economic regeneration - supporting enterprise,
targeting areas of need
Social justice for all - tackling social exclusion, providing
opportunities and access to services
Enhancing the value of the countryside - protecting the natural
environment
To achieve these aims the government will effectively be merging the functions of the Countryside Agency, English Nature and the Rural Development Agency into an Integrated Agency. The Countryside Agency will continue to exist as a small independent body acting as an advocate for rural communities, an adviser to the government and a rural watchdog.
The Integrated Agency will be an independent statutory body for protecting the natural environment, biodiversity and landscape, while realising benefits for people through improving access, recreation and general quality of life.
These proposals have angered some environmental groups, who fear English Nature's opposition to government policy on issues like GM crops and the protection of sites of special scientific interest will be lost in the new agency.
The other major proposal is that more power, and money, be given to Regional Development Authorities (RDAs). In an attempt to devolve decision-making and funding for regeneration from central government, the government hopes this move will allow decisions to better reflect the needs of communities. However, opponents have argued that RDAs are little more than unelected quangos that will not reflect the true needs of the countryside.
Rural funding schemes will be streamlined from the current 100 schemes to 3 main funding programme, targeting: rural regeneration, a competitive farming and food industry and sustainable land management.
These changes will not affect the Countryside Agency's work of opening up access to mountain, moor, heath, down and common land region-by-region under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act; the agency will continue to promote the dedication of other land for public access, and integrating rights of way improvement plans into local transport plans.