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THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY
2020
RECREATION CENTRE,
LOUGHRY COLLEGE,
COOKSTOWN BT80 9AA
Rural Stakeholder Engagement Event WORKING TOWARDS A NEW RURAL FRAMEWORK
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
Welcome & Introductions
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valued by everyone.
Opening Remarks
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
Rural Trends, Challenges &
Opportunities Across the
Regions
Rural Trends, Challenges & Opportunities across the regions
Professor Sally Shortall
Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University
Honorary Professor, Queen’s University Belfast
@sally_shortall [email protected]
Overview
• The emergence of rural development in Northern Ireland
• Current context: What will Brexit bring?
• Rural development across the regions: commonalities and differences
• Opportunities and challenges going forward
The emergence of Rural Development in Northern Ireland
• Similar to elsewhere in Europe: ‘The Future of Rural Society’ (1988)
• Early 1990s The Department of Agriculture became responsible for rural development (not unusual across Europe)
• Rural Development Council and Rural Community Network established
• Strong emphasis on rural poverty and disadvantage (both EU and NI)
• Close relationship between Government and Community Development Organizations
• Political context of the time
Rural Development in Northern Ireland
• Move from being responsible for the RDP to rural policy
• Problematic responsibility
• Inter-departmental working group, Rural Proofing, Rural Needs Act
• In addition to RDP, the Initiatives to Tackle Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI)
• Many of these initiatives exemplary, showing close inter-departmental connections
• For example, Assisted Rural Travel Scheme, Rural Business Scheme, Regional Infrastructure Support Scheme
Current context: What will Brexit bring?
• Threats and opportunities (true for all of the regions)
• Scope to consider whether the priorities of the EU RDP are the same as the priorities for the region
• What type of rural Northern Ireland do we want?
• Time for a refreshed rural strategy with a reflection on the appropriate instruments needed to implement it
• Ability to move beyond rural/agricultural tensions built into EU policy and consider how agriculture / rural development intertwined
Rural development across the regions: commonalities and differences
• All see Brexit as a threat and an opportunity
• Similar attempts to develop Rural Strategies going forward, although Northern Ireland is further ahead than the other regions
• The Scottish are worried about remote areas and islands and seasonal migrants
• The Welsh are worried about the loss of trade relationships with Ireland and poor infrastructure
• The English are worried about the scale of England, regional differences, affordable housing (not Brexit related) and hill farmers
Rural Development across the regions: commonalities and differences
• Northern Ireland and England: rural proofing/ Rural Needs Act. Scotland is very opposed to rural proofing.
• North Yorkshire Councils have established a Rural Commission to develop a rural strategy for the region.
• Issues raised (NI/ North Yorkshire/ ROI) broadly similar: farming, food and environment; economy and jobs; services; inclusion and well-being; rural/ urban connectivity
Opportunities and challenges going forward
• Northern Ireland is leading in preparation for a future Rural Strategy
• Need to build on good practice of strong community development, inclusion programmes, innovative TRPSI programme
• Very good community infrastructure in place/ closely connected to Govt
• Ability to interlink agriculture and rural development going forward
Opportunities and challenges going forward
• Wonder about the focus on rural disadvantage – it is there, but not the only thing that is there: differentiated rural
• Urban/ rural binary is unhelpful
• North east just received a three year multi-million pound award premised on unlocking the potential in the rural economy, building innovation, untapped growth potential
• Southern Ireland 2010’s Rural Development Plan specifically talks about changing the narrative
Opportunities and challenges going forward
• Reduction or closure of rural services always very emotive – somehow seen as weakening the fabric of community
• Realism and what is better quality of life: North Yorkshire and the closure of rural schools
• Rationalising services without improved infrastructure is problematic
• The delivery of services changes: what is the bigger issue? Having a bank in the local town or having access to online banking and the knowledge of how to use it?
Opportunities and challenges going forward
• Evidence will not provide the one true right answer – it depends on what ‘ought’ to be – what type of rural do we want?
• For example, North Yorkshire: Rewilding or grouse shooting? Both convincing and diametrically opposing arguments. What do we want?
• Who decides what is the right path forward?
• Important to carefully think out what type of rural
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valued by everyone.
Over to You -
Roundtable Discussions
Working Group 1Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Presented by: Gerard O’Neill
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valued by everyone.
Working Group 1 - Membership
Invest NI
Tourism NI
Mid Ulster District Council
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
Rural Support Network – RAPID NI
DAERA - Sustainable Rural Communities Branch
DAERA - Resource Economics Branch
DAERA - Rural Affairs Division
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
To create a rural society where innovation and
entrepreneurship flourish
Working Group 1 – Goal
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• Micro & Small businesses are particularly dominant in rural areas
• NI has historically lagged behind the rest of the UK in terms of enterprise
start up and in the level of innovative activity
• On average farm incomes are down
• Females in NI are half as likely to be entrepreneurs as males
• The social economy is growing but more can be done in rural areas
• More rural businesses are owned by people from whom export is not the
main driver
• We know that rural areas are lagging behind in terms of tourism
Working Group 1 - Context
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valued by everyone.
• We will develop a culture of rural innovation
• We will raise awareness, build capacity & capability to
engage in rural entrepreneurship & innovation
• We will invest in and develop our rural economy
Working Group 1 - Aims
Working Group 2 Rural Tourism
Presented by: Anne Currie
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
Working Group 2 - Membership
Local Action Groups Councils
Rural Support Network - Cookstown
and Western Shores Area Network
Rural Support Network – RAPID
NI
Tourism NI & Tourism Ireland Outdoor Recreation NI
National Trust Department for the Economy
Department for Communities DAERA – Rural Affairs Division
DAERA - Natural Environment
Division
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valued by everyone.
To maximise the contribution that sustainable rural tourism makes to
rural society and to the wider economy and environment
Working Group 2 – Goal
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valued by everyone.
• In Jan-March 2019 NI attracted a previously unsurpassed 550,000 visitors from
outside NI (+14%). Growth was evident for both the ROI (+34%) and GB and
Other Overseas (+8%) markets
• More than 1m overnight trips (domestic and external) were taken in NI during
Jan-March 2019. This is a record breaking number of trips, up by 7% on Jan-
March 2018, with increases evident for all main markets
• Visitors spent £180m (-3% on Q1 2018), with spend reducing for all markets
except the domestic market. Some £2m was spent on average each day
during Q1 2019
Working Group 2 - Context
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• Holiday trips increased by almost one quarter compared with Jan-March 2018,
with all main markets delivering growth
• The most recent NI accommodation statistics (Jan-September 2019) show
unprecedented sales with over 3.7 million bed-spaces sold - an increase of 7%
on Jan-September 2018
• In 2017/18 the proportion of households in NI very or fairly concerned about the
environment was 71%.
• Significant volumes of visitors are day tripping to particular destinations.
Working Group 2 – Context
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• We will encourage and support the delivery of compelling year round, authentic visitor
products and experiences of a quality that will provide international stand out for
Northern Ireland
• We will support a rural tourism sector that is commercially focused and achieves
sustainable levels of growth and prosperity
• We will facilitate welcoming and supportive rural communities to play an enhanced role in developing and managing tourism in their locality, thereby strengthening, benefitting and enriching local areas
• We will recognise, value, protect and enhance Northern Ireland’s natural, cultural and historic built environment as the cornerstone of its rural tourism
Working Group 2 - Aims
Working Group 3 Social Wellbeing
Presented by: Gerard Treacy
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valued by everyone.
DAERA – Rural Affairs Division (West) DAERA – Sustainable Communities Branch
Public Health Agency Rural Support
Northern Health and Social Care Trust Department for Communities
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Rural Action
Ards and North Down District Council Southern Organisation for Action in Rural
Areas
Generating Rural Opportunities within South
Antrim
Rural Support Network - County Down Rural
Community Network
Rural Support Network - Community
Organisations of South Tyrone Area (COSTA)
Working Group 3 - Membership
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
To reduce loneliness and social exclusion in rural areas, to minimise the impacts of rural isolation and to promote the health and wellbeing of
rural dwellers
Working Group 3 – Goal
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valued by everyone.
• Many social wellbeing issues are inter-related, highlighting the need for joint actionand working in partnership with a range of service providers
• Service delivery should build on existing community infrastructure and make best useof the rural estate
• Outreach into rural communities is essential to reaching those most at risk, andshould have the ability to engage with all sectors/age groups through localconnections
• Mental health is a key concern amongst rural dwellers, heightened by concernsaround household incomes and the ability to access wellbeing services
Working Group 3 - Context
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• We will champion awareness and understanding of rural social
exclusion, isolation and loneliness
• We will support a rural dimension within the work of other
organisations which are promoting positive health and wellbeing,
addressing social exclusion, isolation and loneliness and build
the capacity of rural organisations and people to develop their
activities in this area
Working Group 3 - Aims
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• We will establish effective approaches to reducing loneliness and socialexclusion in rural areas, to minimise the impacts of social isolation andto promote the health and wellbeing of rural dwellers
• We will sustain the future viability of villages as social and economiccentres
• We will support the strategic development of existing rural communityassets as places where people can meet, interact, access services andenhance their health and wellbeing
Working Group 3 - Aims
Working Group 4 Employment
Presented by: Jerome Burns
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
Working Group 4 - Membership
DAERA - Rural Affairs Division DAERA - Sustainable Rural Communities
Branch
Department for the Economy Invest NI
Newry, Mourne & Down District Council Lisburn & Castlereagh Borough Council
Ards & North Down Borough Council Mourne, Gullion & Lecale Local Action Group
Southern Regional College Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency
Rural Support Network - Omagh
Forum for Rural Associations
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
To increase employment opportunities available to
people living in rural areas
Working Group 4 – Goal
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• 7 out of the 10 most disadvantaged SOAs are rural
• Rural economy wages tend to be lower
• Disproportionate importance of agri food sector
• Brexit
• Barriers to employment – transport, childcare & benefits
• Disconnect between business and education/training sector
Working Group 4 - Context
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• We will promote rural prosperity by providing support to non-
farming rural enterprises to help increase rural business start-
ups, sustainability and growth
• We will champion the need to address the personal and
practical issues which create barriers to employability for our
rural citizens
• We will invest in and develop our rural society
Working Group 4 - Aims
Working Group 5 Connectivity
Presented by: Niall Heaney
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
Working Group 5 - Membership
Rural Community Network Department for the Economy
NI Rural Women's Network Department for Infrastructure
Easilink Community Transport Department for Communities
Libraries NI DAERA - Rural Affairs Division
Rural Support Network - Northern Area
Community Network
Mourne Gullion & Lecale Rural
Development Partnership
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Mid Ulster District Council
Ards & North Down Borough Council
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
To improve connectivity between rural and urban
areas
Working Group 5 – Goal
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• 18% growth in population in rural NI (2001-17) (compared to only 6% in urban NI)
• Only 67% of rural areas are covered by Superfast Broadband compared to98% in urban areas
• Average annual salary is £20,030 in rural areas compared to £22,089 in urban areas
• Only 22% of rural dwellers are a 3 min walk to nearest bus stop (compared to 41% in urban areas) with annual commuting miles and reliance on a car more prevalent
• 58% of NI businesses are rurally based compared to 42% urban based
Working Group 5 – Context
A living, working, active landscape
valued by everyone.
• We will support balanced regional development by promoting
better connectivity between urban and rural centres
• We will reduce barriers to accessing services in rural areas
• We will support improved telecommunications infrastructure
including high speed broadband making it available to as many
people as possible regardless of where they live
Working Group 5 - Aims
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valued by everyone.
• We will support sustainable public transport services between
rural areas and urban centres and encourage active and public
transport usage that better meets the needs of rural citizens
Working Group 5 - Aims
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valued by everyone.
Opportunities, Gaps,
Connections & Synergies
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valued by everyone.
Feedback
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Next Steps
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Lunch