Future delivery of the RDPE socio-economic elements (Axis 1,3,4) - FAQs
For all project enquiries in the West Midlands area please contact:
Jo Jury, RDPE Partnerships and Programme Team Leader (West Midlands)
DEFRA, Block A Spur 11, Government Buildings, Whittington Rd, Worcester, WR5 2LQ
Jo.Jury@defra.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 01905 768854
Frequently asked questions
Changes to the socio-economic elements of the RDPE
Q1. What changes are going to be made?
We shall be putting in place a new, more nationally consistent approach to delivering the Programme, including nationally consistent application and appraisal processes.
We will be introducing new national schemes of support including: a Targeted Small Grants Scheme; a new national approach to RDPE Grants for larger projects; and a Rural Community Broadband Fund. We will be implementing a new approach to supporting skills development and knowledge transfer. We will also be providing further detail of the Uplands Theme under the Programme, which will target support for upland farming across the programme. The locally–led Leader approach will also continue to be an important way of delivering across all the programme’s objectives.
Q2. What will be the new priorities for support?
The priorities for the remainder of the Programme will be improving the competitiveness of farming, including skills and knowledge transfer; and support for rural economic growth and the broader development of the rural economy - particularly through rural broadband and tourism.
Q3. When will the changes be made?
Over the remainder of 2011 we will be developing a new nationally consistent approach to delivery, drawing on best practice and what has worked well around the country under the Programme so far; and through discussion with customers and stakeholders.
Our first priority is to implement the new national Targeted Small Grants Scheme, which we are aiming to introduce in the late autumn along with further detail of the Uplands Theme under RDPE. We shall then also be able to give further detail of the new approach to RDPE Grants for larger projects, which we anticipate will open for expressions of interest and applications around the end of the year.
In the autumn we will also be launching the new Rural Community Broadband Fund.
The new approach to supporting skills development and knowledge transfer will be developed over the remainder of 2011, and be in place for the beginning of next financial year.
Future delivery arrangements
Q4. How will the socio-economic elements of the RDPE be delivered?
Responsibility for the delivery of the RDPE socio-economic elements (Axes 1, 3 and 4) transferred from the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to Defra on 1 July 2011. Defra will provide a stronger national lead and introduce a nationally consistent approach to Programme delivery whilst retaining locally accessible delivery support. This new delivery arrangement will continue for the remainder of the programme period, to December 2013.
Many of the staff that worked previously within the RDAs’ RDPE teams have transferred into Defra and now form part of Defra’s new RDPE Delivery Team (RDT). The local Delivery Teams are located in offices of Defra or its agencies around the country. The Annex to this document provides detail of the new locations together with contact email addresses and telephone numbers.
Q5. What will happen to Regional Implementation Plans in future?
Existing Rural Development Programme for England Regional Implementation Plans will continue to provide a basis for delivery of the Programme during 2011/12. For the remainder of the current programme period we will be taking an approach that reflects local economic reforms and delivers a more nationally consistent offer, but which also enables the Programme to retain the valuable local perspective and the input of delivery partners and stakeholders in shaping delivery of the Programme.
Q6. What will happen to the RDPE Network?
The RDPE Network will continue to operate through to 2013, as required under the European Rural Development Regulation. The RDPE Network is now hosted by Defra.
You can find out more about the Network by visiting http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk where you will find news items relevant to the programme, details of forthcoming activities, a directory RDPE funded projects and a form to sign up to our newsletters. You can also keep up-to-date with the Network through Twitter.
Q 7. What will happen after 2013?
There is still a considerable degree of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming CAP Reform negotiations. The negotiations are due to start in mid-October and are likely to continue into 2013. Changes to the current Rural Development Programme in England will need to be future-proofed to ensure that they can be integrated smoothly into the next Rural Development Programme in England post-2013. To this end, lessons learned from the current programme are being fed into negotiations on the next programme, and changes to the current RDPE broadly reflect our views on how the next programme should look.
Budgets
Q8. How much funding will be available for the RDPE socio-economic elements (Axis 1, 3 and 4)?
• About £120m has been allocated to the RDT in the current financial year 2011/12. Most of this funding has already been successfully committed to projects, although there is limited capacity in some regions to support further projects;
• about £200m is available for the rest of the programme period (to the end of 2013), but around half of this funding is already committed to projects and schemes.
Q9. Why have 2011/12 regional budget allocations been reduced?
Following the Spending Review 2010, it was necessary to make some reductions in parts of the Programme in order to realise necessary efficiency savings. Therefore budgets for delivery of Axis 1 and 3 by the RDTs and for Axis by 4 Leader Local Action Groups are lower than anticipated at the outset of the Programme. Nevertheless, Defra is still planning to meet the minimum spend levels required in the EU regulations governing the Programme. Over the programme period as a whole, spend under Axis 1, 3 and 4 is expected to be in the region of £600 million, of which £530m is expected to be delivered by the RDT (or predecessor RDAs).
Q10. Will there still be a regional allocation of RDPE budgets after 2011/12?
For 2011/12, budgets were allocated on a regional basis. As part of the transition towards a more consistent national approach we are reviewing the process of budget allocation.
Leader approach
Q11. Why has the budget allocation to Local Action Groups been reduced?
All areas of the Programme have had to share the burden of budget pressures following the Spending Review.
Q12. Will more funding be made available to Local Action Groups?
Defra and the RDPE Delivery Team have been reviewing the position on budgets for Local Action Groups (LAGs), taking into account success to-date in delivering the available funding. LAGs have now had revised allocations confirmed for the remainder of the programme period.
Q13. How will the Leader Approach continue to be managed?
Responsibility for managing delivery under the Leader Approach transferred to Defra from the Regional Development Agencies along with the other on-going RDPE socio-economic delivery functions. Leader Local Action Groups will continue to deliver the Leader Approach with support from the Defra’s new RDPE Delivery teams.
Project applications
Q14. Will the existing regional schemes continue to be available?
2011/12 is a transitional year for delivery of the Programme with existing regional schemes being wound down and new nationally consistent schemes introduced. However, some existing regional schemes may continue until into 2012, where affordable from remaining regional budgets. By 1 April 2012, we expect the new national schemes to be implemented.
Q15. Will the Programme be open to new applications in 2011/12?
Programme budgets for 2011/12 are now mostly committed and there will be limited scope to support new applications in 2011/12. Potential applicants should contact their RDPE Delivery Team (RDT) as early as possible to discuss their plans and whether any funding support is available. Contact details for the RDTs are provided in the Annex to this paper.
Q16. How will new applications be dealt with?
Over 2011/12, as we manage the transition to a more nationally consistent approach to delivery, new application processes will be put in place. We aim to keep these new processes as simple and streamlined as possible, whilst ensuring compliance within the EU rules governing the Programme. Further information on any planned changes will be provided along with the detail of new schemes in the autumn.
Q17. Will there be any changes to support for Environmental Stewardship?
Environmental Stewardship is delivered by Natural England, under Axis 2 of the RDPE. The Government has maintained its commitment to the scheme, including safeguarding environmental achievements so far and providing continued growth in new Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements. Spend on HLS, which delivers the biggest benefits for biodiversity and the natural environment, will increase by more than 80% by 2013/14 compared with 2010/11 planning assumptions.
Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), including Organic and Uplands ELS, remains open to all farmers. We are also exploring ways to improve the effectiveness of Environmental Stewardship to strengthen the environmental benefits from the scheme.
Priorities for support
Q18. How do reduced RDPE budgets fit with the Government’s stated priority for the uplands?
As announced in the Uplands Policy Review, an Uplands Theme with specific emphasis on providing support for uplands farmers will be incorporated into the future delivery of the Programme. We are talking to uplands farmers’ representatives about how this theme can best meet their needs. Further details will be announced in the autumn.
Q19. How do reduced budgets for RDPE funding fit with the Government’s stated priority for farming competitiveness?
Programme funding will continue to be used to support improvements in farming competitiveness as a priority for the reminder of the programme period.
Q20. How do reduced budgets for RDPE funding fit with the Government’s stated priority for rural broadband?
The Government announced on 10 March that it is establishing A Rural Community Broadband Fund, with funding of up to £20m, will be available to communities in the 10% hard to reach locations in each County which will not benefit from the government’s superfast broadband rollout programme, much of which is also aimed at rural areas.
The Fund which will combine 50% RDPE and 50% Broadband Delivery UK funding, will provide communities in these hard to reach locations with an opportunity to seek grant funding to establish an enhanced superfast service where required. Further details on how the fund will operate will be made available in the autumn. It is envisaged that the fund will be in operation by the end of 2011.
Q21. The previous Government made a commitment to target £107m of funding of the Rural Development Programme for England derived from voluntary modulation to the Livestock sector, will this be protected?
Axis 1 of the Rural Development Programme for England is focused on providing support to the agriculture and forestry sector to improve its competitiveness and sustainability. Targeted support to the livestock sector will continue to be an important priority for delivery under the Programme for the remainder of the programme period (2007-2013) but there is no ring fenced allocation.
RDPE and the Big Society
Q22. How will the reduced budgets for RDPE funding help to realise the Government’s stated priority for the Big Society?
Delivery of the Leader Approach through Local Action Groups will continue for the remainder of the programme period. The Leader Approach under the RDPE is based on local decision-making by community partnerships known as Local Action Groups; which operate in geographically defined rural areas. Each group identifies the local priorities for action and then draws upon Programme funds to support local projects that address the identified priorities.
Q23. What will be the role for Local Enterprise Partnerships going forward?
Defra has already had positive discussions with some Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) who have an interest in rural areas. Further discussion is planned to consider how LEPs can have a role in supporting Programme delivery. The Leader approach under the Programme provides an immediate opportunity for LEPs, and collaboration with the Local Action Groups responsible for delivery of the Leader Approach has been encouraged.
Q24. Does the return to Defra of RDPE delivery not go against the drive towards localism and the Big Society?
No. It is an opportunity to develop greater national consistency in delivering the support that is available. This will be supported by an on-going network of local delivery support. Defra is exploring how stakeholders at the national and local level can continue to influence delivery of the Programme.
Q25. How will stakeholders be able to influence how RDPE support is used?
We want to continue to engage fully with our stakeholders and customers to ensure that the programme is responsive to their needs and simple to access. We are testing our thinking about changes to the programme with stakeholders at the national and local levels.
Q26. How does the Rural and Farming Network relate to RDPE?
Defra is seeking expressions of interest from representatives of the farming, food and rural affairs sectors across rural England to be part of a new Rural and Farming Network. The network will provide two-way communication between the Government and broad rural interests in different parts of the country and will provide a forum for discussing issues and solutions to common concerns.
Given the significance of the RDPE funding for the farming and the broader rural community, RDPE operation and impact may be one of the subjects that the Rural and Farming Network provides feedback to Defra on. For further information please contact ruralandfarmingnetwork@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Further information on Programme delivery
Q27. How do I find out further information about changes to the Programme?
The RDPE Delivery Teams (or Local Action Groups for Leader projects) are the first point of contact for all projects. Contact details for the RDPE Delivery Teams are provided in the Annex to this paper.
Contact details for Local Action Groups can be found at
http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/rdpe-delivery/local-action-groups
Further information will also continue to be available through the Defra Website.
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