Rural advocate to champion countryside

Citation

(2001), "Rural advocate to champion countryside", Property Management, Vol. 19 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2001.11319bab.018

Rural advocate to champion countryside

Rural advocate to champion countryside

Keywords: Rural areas, Legislation

Ewen Cameron, Chairman of the Countryside Agency, is to champion the needs of rural England at the heart of government in a new role as "rural advocate". The Deputy Prime Minister announced that Mr Cameron will have direct access to the Prime Minister and other ministers, and will join the Cabinet Committee of Ministers, which co-ordinates rural affairs. His role will be to tell ministers what the countryside needs from the Government, drawing on the Countryside Agency's own extensive research programme and practical experience.

Commenting on the Government's Rural White Paper published today, Mr Cameron said:

This Rural White Paper recognises the wider challenges facing those living in the countryside and the Government has shown it has been listening to rural people. This is a good start which now needs to be translated into action.

I want to see every government department test its policies against rural needs – does the policy work for or against, include or exclude, rural people and places? This so-called rural proofing will be a tougher test of the Government's commitment to the countryside than setting up a new rural department. It will mean there is no opt-out clause for any government activity. Rural concerns are no dffferent from urban worries on health, jobs, services, transport, housing, education – but they need rural solutions.

The agency intends to keep the Government on track with delivering the White Paper and we will report annually on its progress. Mr Cameron said: "Ensuring a rural dimension in all policies will have a real impact on the people who live and work in the countryside. The test will be how swiftly Government can act on its recommendations. We will measure their success by reporting on progress to the Cabinet Committee and the Rural Sounding Board every year and by using our annual State of the Countryside report as a rural barometer."

Mr Cameron promised the Countryside Agency would play a central role in implementing the Rural White Paper, providing new transport solutions and helping local people take more control over local decisions.

He said:

I am delighted that we will be able to build on our successful transport schemes providing more and better ways of getting to work, shops and services. Transport is consistently cited as a major concern by rural people, and solutions are best found at a local level.

We will also help rural communities prepare their own town and village plans and train parish clerks to provide better local governance.

The Countryside Agency will also work closely with other partners to provide:

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  "health checks" and tool kits to help regeneration of market towns;

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  vital village services through a new Community Service Fund; and

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  improving the quality of the countryside environment, especially around towns.

Further background statistics on the state of the countryside available from the Web site: www.countryside.gov.uk The Countryside Agency is responsible for advising Government and taking action on the social, economic and environmental well-being of the English countryside.