The document summarizes a conference on new directions in rural policy held in Gloucester on September 27th, 2012. It discusses limitations of past rural policies related to sustainable development, the rural economy, agriculture, land use planning and rural communities. It also outlines priorities from a September 2012 Rural Statement including economic growth, rural engagement and quality of life, with broadband identified as a higher priority than transport.

1. CCRI Rural Policy Conference
Gloucester
Pastoral or Past-Caring? New Directions In Rural Policy
27th September 2012
English rural development
over the past 25 years:
the limits of government
Nigel Curry

2. Sustainable Development
and Policy Inertia
• Limitations in scientific
measurement: scepticism and
denial.
• The short term nature of politics:
global warming and climate change
give way to economic recession.

3. Narrow definitions of
sustainability in policy
• Business as usual but
with a bit of
environment thrown in
• Reduce CO2 emissions

4. This builds
shortcomings into
policies for:
• The rural economy
• Agriculture
---------------------------
• Rural land use planning
• Rural communities

5. Rio 2012 – the starting point
The director of UNEP Achim Steiner, at
the outset of Rio 2012:
“pollution is killing millions of people a year,
ecosystem decline is increasing, climate change
is speeding up, and soil and ocean degradation
is worsening. If trends continue … governments
will preside over unprecedented levels of
damage and degradation. Earth systems are
being pushed towards their biophysical limits."

6. Rio 2012 – the interest
• Most G20 leaders don’t turn up
• No legally binding commitments
agreed
• No political consensus between
rich and poor
• Sustainable principles
overshadowed by global financial
crisis

7. Rural economic policy
• Income Support
• Endogenous Development
• Growth
• Well being

9. Sustainable
Development
Commission,
March 2009

10. Distribution of public
support within the rural
4000 economy 2012 (£ million)
3500
3440 (2011, pa)
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
700
500
165
60 12
0
Farm paymnets RGN Rural Econ Grant Rural Tourism Broadband
Scheme

11. Distribution of public
support within agriculture

12. Distribution of public
support within agriculture
2011
Single farm
payment
Agri environment
LFA
Linked to production

13. Land use planning: sustainable
development is urban
Four cornerstone PPG/Ss for rural areas
• PPS 1 - Delivering Sustainable Development
• PPS 3 - Housing
• PPS 7 - Sustainable Development in Rural Areas
• PPS 13 - Transport
Define sustainable as urban through:
• Transport
• Increase development densities
• Maximise development on Brownfield land

14. Friday, Sep 14 2012

15. Rural Community
Empowerment
• Planning for Real
• Local Agenda 21
• Village Appraisals (3,000 +)
• Parish Plans (2,000 +)
• Village Design Statements
(600 +)

16. Localism Act 2011
• Neighbourhood plans
• Neighbourhood development
orders
• Community right to
challenge
• Community right to provide
• Community right to buy

17. Cautionary Notes on
Rural Community
Empowerment
• Unequal between communities
• Unequal within communities
• Shifts cost burden onto communities
• Defence localism
• Support favours the most able
• Lack of strategy

18. 2012 (September) Rural Statement
Three key priorities:
• Economic Growth - we want rural businesses to
make a sustainable contribution to national growth;
• Rural Engagement - we want to engage directly
with rural communities so that they can see that
Government is on their side;
• Quality of Life - we want rural people to have fair
access to public services and to be actively engaged
in shaping the places in which they live.
Broadband a priority over transport