Regional Context

Although Northumberland Upwards will principally seek to assist with the delivery of the North East Implementation Plan and the Regional Economic Strategy, there are other strategic documents that will inform the New LEADER approach. The delivery of the Rural Development Programme for England in the North East will contribute to a number of national, regional, and sub-regional strategies and will interface with several delivery frameworks. The Rural Development Programme for England is England’s mechanism for delivering funds allocated to England from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Exchequer. The aim is:

To deliver targeted support to land based businesses and rural communities in line with defra’s national strategy within the overall principles of sustainable development.

There are three national priorities, set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

• Making Agriculture and Forestry more Competitive and Sustainable (Axis 1)
• Enhancing the Environment and Countryside (Axis 2)
• Enhancing Opportunity in Rural Areas (Axis 3)

The New LEADER Approach (Axis 4) spans the three priorities.

North East Implementation Plan (2007-2013)

The North East Implementation Plan was developed by a steering group comprising the delivery partners, Natural England, One NorthEast and the Forestry Commission, supported by Government Office for the North East. The North East Implementation Plan articulates the proposed principles, priorities and delivery arrangements for the Rural Development Programme for England. The funding allocation for the North East across axes 1 and 3 has been provisionally set at approximately £6.69 million per annum. A minimum of 5% of the total EU contributions to the RDPE budget will be invested in accordance with the principles of Leader, detailed in a later section of this document. The exact amount that the North East will deliver is still to be confirmed.

North East Implementation Plan (PDF - 400KB)

Leading the Way: Regional Economic Strategy (2006-2016)

The Regional Economic Strategy is a strategy for the sustainable, inclusive economic growth necessary to underpin the fulfilment of the overarching vision for the North East region. The shared vision will promote greater alignment across regional strategies and policies, and will facilitate a greater understanding of the kind of region we want to be in the future. “The North East will be a region where present and future generations have a high quality of life. It will be a vibrant, self-reliant, ambitious and outward looking region featuring a dynamic economy, a healthy environment and a distinctive culture. Everyone will have the opportunity to realise their full potential.”

Leading the Way (PDF - 6MB)

A Secure Future for the Land of the Far Horizons: Northumberland National Park Management Plan (3rd Review) (2003)

A living landscape needs a vibrant community and the countryside is undergoing profound social and economic change. The view is widespread that conventional solutions to rural development are no longer enough and need to be replaced by a new approach. In our view, the special qualities of this National Park can be a source of new wealth and security for the local community because of the tremendous appeal of the landscape to the wider community. “Northumberland National Park Authority will be proactive, innovative and forward-looking, working towards a National Park with thriving communities and a sustainable local economy grounded in its special qualities, including a richness of cultural heritage and biodiversity, a true sense of tranquillity and a distinct character associated with a living, working landscape, in which everyone has an opportunity to understand, enjoy and contribute to those special qualities.”

A Secure Future for the Land of the Far Horizons (PDF - 2MB)

Trees, Woodlands, Forests... and People: The Regional Forestry Strategy (2007)

By managing our woodlands sustainably we can often achieve a wide range of outcomes at the same time and in a cost effective way. Woodlands are a uniquely multifunctional resource. Woodland can provide a recreation facility, a wildlife habitat, an educational resource and a workplace. At the same time it would be improving air quality, screening noise, reducing flood risk, improving the landscape and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by providing environmentally-friendly timber products and woodfuel, and by absorbing atmospheric carbon. In this region we have over 100,000 hectares of woodlands, covering 12% of our land area. They support an important timber industry that contributes over £450million GVA per annum to the region’s economy and has investments in the pipeline that could lead to a further £80m GVA per annum. Our woodlands are a vital component of the natural environment, both in their own right as in the case of ancient woodlands, of which we have less than any other region in England and because they provide important habitats for wildlife, as in the case of Kielder forest which is home to 80% of England’s red squirrels. “Our trees, woodlands and forest will help this region become a better place for us all to live, work, visit and do business.”

Trees, Woodlands, Forests... and People (PDF - 4MB)

Releasing the Strength of our Communities: A Sustainable Community Strategy for Northumberland to 2021 (2007)

Northumberland is striving for a competitive and vibrant future within a world that is driven by rapid changes in consumer demands and economics. Living within a strong community remains vital to this – our basic human needs of being fit and well, feeling secure, enjoying the company of others, taking on fresh challenges, and contributing something worthwhile to wider society still need to be met. In particular, our children and young people – who represent the future – need to get the best possible start to their lives. Our collective challenge is to find the right balance between these competing demands so that we all lead happy and fulfilled lives. Working together, we can make a positive difference, bring about real change to our lives and leave a lasting. “Our vision is that we work together to release the strength of all our communities so that by 2021 everyone in Northumberland has the same life opportunities, is broadly satisfied with the quality of their lives and is able to influence decisions that affect them.”

Releasing the Strength of our Communities (PDF - 2MB)

Working Together: Local Area Agreement for Northumberland (2008-2011)

The Local Area Agreement has been embraced as a mechanism to deliver real improvements for people across Northumberland.  It already acts as a catalyst for partners to work together more effectively and to think differently about how local people can achieve lasting solutions and collaborative efficiencies. The development and delivery of the Local Area Agreement puts the needs of local people first and aims to bring tangible improvements to those issues that mean the most to them including tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, improving economic prosperity and reducing deprivation and health inequalities.  The above Sustainable Community Strategy demonstrates a significant shift in the complexity and relevance of partnership planning. The relationship between the Local Area Agreement and the Sustainable Community Strategy is of shared priorities for Northumberland.

Working Together (PDF - 500KB)

Facing the Future: The Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food (2002)

"Our vision of the future is of a world in which climate change and environmental degradation are recognised and addressed by all nations and where low carbon emissions and efficient use of environmental resources are at the heart of our whole way of life; where, here in the UK, rural communities are diverse, economically and environmentally viable, and socially inclusive with high quality public services and real opportunities for all. A country where the food, fishing and farming industries working closely together and with Government are not dependent on output-related subsidies to produce safe, nutritious food which contributes positively to consumer choice and the health of the whole nation. A place where the land is managed in such a way as to recognise its many functions, from production through to recreation; where we seek to promote biodiversity on land and in our seas, and where the promotion of animal welfare and protection against animal disease is at the core of the way in which we farm and live. The pursuit of sustainable development, environmental, economic and social, is vital to achieving this vision."

Facing the Future (PDF 350KB)

North East Tourism Strategy (2005-2010)

Tourism is a key component of the region’s economy currently supporting over 10% of jobs. Realising Our Potential, the North East’s Regional Economic Strategy, highlights the key contribution that the tourism sector plays in boosting our prosperity.One NorthEast plans to continue to invest, substantially, in the region’s tourism assets between now and 2011. Some of this investment will be directly from One NorthEast; some will be from the four Sub-Regional Partnerships. The private sector, and other public bodies, will invest considerably more over the same period. The challenge that we face is to ensure that the region gains the maximum benefits - economic, social, and environmental - from these investments.“The North East of England will become a sought after destination 365 days a year - for leisure and business visitors - with activities, attractions, facilities and accommodation that consistently exceed visitor expectations.”

North East Tourism Strategy (PDF - 2MB)

Links with Other Regional and Local Programmes of Activity

The New LEADER Approach aims to forge links to other programmes of activity, achieving sustainable development. The following suggest some of the range of complementary strategies which projects may work towards delivering.

Regional Cultural Strategy (Culture North East) (PDF - 200KB)

Regional Housing Strategy (North East Housing Board) (PDF - 2MB)

Regional Sport Strategy (Sport England) (PDF - 3MB)

Regional Skills Strategy (One NorthEast) (PDF - 1MB)

Regional Spatial Strategy (North East Assembly) (PDF - 2MB)

Energy for a New Century (Northern Energy Initiative) (PDF - 3MB)

Water Resource Strategy (Environment Agency) (PDF - 100KB)

Strategy for the Environment (Environment Forum) (PDF - 6MB)

Heritage Counts (English Heritage) (PDF - 3 MB)

Heritage (North East Historic Environment Forum) (PDF - 5MB)

Biodiversity Action Plan (National Park ) (PDF - 2MB)

Biodiversity Action Plan (Biodiversity Partnership) (PDF - 2MB)

To view these documents you may need to download a free copy of Adobe Reader.

NOTE that when printing these documents you should set your printer preferences to shrink the content to fit the page, since different manufacturers' printers have different default settings for the size of page content.