APPENDIX 18
Memorandum submitted by East Midlands
Regional Service Centre (E22)
EAST MIDLANDS—NOTTINGHAM
1. DESCRIPTION
OF THE
AREA AND
TYPE OF
FARMING
The East Midlands Region, covering Derbyshire,
Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire
and Rutland, ranges from the high heather moorlands of the Peak
District in Derbyshire reaching over 600 metres to the flat and
fertile Fens of Lincolnshire, only a few metres above sea level.
Soil types vary accordingly from the areas of Grade 4 and 5 land
in Derbyshire, capable of supporting only extensive livestock
farming systems, through the extensive areas of Grade 3 land providing
excellent conditions for grass and cereals in Northamptonshire
and Leicestershire, to the significant concentrations of Grade
1 and 2 land in Lincolnshire, capable of growing the widest range
of agricultural and horticultural crops.
There are 16,847 agricultural holdings in the
region, with an agricultural workforce of 46,915 (3.2 per cent
of the total workforce). The total agricultural area is 1,280
hectares.
Sheep rearing is predominant in northern Derbyshire,
whilst in the south sheep may be mixed with beef enterprises,
and dairying is of local significance. Arable production tends
to occur on mixed farms, and there is a small area of horticultural
production in the extreme south of the county.
Two ESAs, the North Peak and South West Peak,
are within the Peak District in Derbyshire. The Regional Service
Centre (RSC) at Nottingham has responsibility for the administration
of the North Peak ESA whereas the South West Peak ESA is administered
by Crewe RSC. The Objective 5b area in Derbyshire broadly corresponds
to the area of the Peak National Park.
Leicestershire and Rutland have very mixed farming
systems. Although there is an extensive amount of arable cropping,
sheep, dairy and beef enterprises are also common, taking advantage
of the high quality grass produced along the river valleys. Northamptonshire
has a similar farming pattern to Leicestershire, but with a greater
proportion of cereals and oilseeds.
Lincolnshire, the largest agricultural county
in the country, is almost exclusively arable. Cereals, potatoes
and sugar beet are produced on a large scale, and there are major
areas of field vegetable production for the fresh produce, freezing
and canning industries. Much of the most productive land is irrigated
and requires a very high level of management and marketing. The
county is also the centre of bulb and flower production in the
UK. There are a significant number of intensive pig and poultry
units.
Nottinghamshire is an area of predominantly
arable production, with a similar cropping pattern to Lincolnshire
but without the vegetable production. It is a major producer of
potatoes, mainly for processing, which are grown largely on irrigated
sand land.
2. UPTAKE
AND ADMINISTRATION
OF SCHEMES
ARABLE AREA PAYMENTS SCHEME (AAPS) 1999
| Claims | Total grant £k
| Average grant £k | % paid by EU deadline
|
| 6,867 | 136,067 | 19.92
| 98.92 |
| | |
|
BEEF SPECIAL PREMIUM SCHEME (BSPS) 1998
| Applicants | Total paid £k
| % paid by EU deadline |
| 3,991 | 13,522 | 99.3
|
| | |
SUCKLER COW PREMIUM SCHEME (SCPS) 1998
| Claims | Total paid £k
| % paid by EU deadline |
| 2,374 | 9,118 | 97.97
|
| | |
SHEEP ANNUAL PREMIUM SCHEME (SAPS) 1998
| Claims | Total paid £k
| Average payment £k | % claims paid by deadline
|
| 3,072 | 12,534 | 4.0
| 99.8 |
| | |
|
HILL LIVESTOCK COMPENSATORY ALLOWANCES (HLCA) 2000
| Eligible claims | Total allowances paid £k
| Average payment £k | % eligible claims paid by deadline
|
| 780 | 1,993 | 2.5
| 99.4 |
| | |
|
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS 1998-99
| Agreements | Total payments due £k
| Average grant £k | % paid by EU deadline
|
| 117 | 1,482 | 12.6
| 96.7 |
| | |
|
COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP SCHEME 1991-99
| Agreements | Budget £k
|
| 1,087 | 3,649 |
| |
FARM WOODLAND/FARM WOODLAND PREMIUM SCHEMES 1.4.92-31.3.00
| Approvals | Expenditure £k
|
| 796 | 781 |
| |
ORGANIC FARMING SCHEME (OFS) 1999
| Applicants | First year commitment of expenditure £k
| Average value per case (first year) £k
|
| 103 | 1,137 | 11.0
|
| | |
ORGANIC AID SCHEME (OAS) 1999
| Applicants | Payments £k
| Average value £k |
| 38 | 82 | 2.1
|
| | |
| Applications | Licences issued
| % meeting Citizen's Charter target |
| 65 | 59 | 98.5
|
| | |
WILDLIFE AND COUNTRYSIDE ACT 1.4.98-31.3.99
| Applications | Licences issued
| % meeting Citizen's Charter target
|
| 56 | 56
| 100 |
| |
|
| Number of approved projects
| Total grant allocated £k | Total expenditure £k
| Average allocation per project £k
| Average commitment per project £k
|
| Objective 5b 1999 | 51 | 12,747
| 3,040 | 249 | 59.6
|
| Leader II 1999 | 27 | 835
| 170 | 30.9 | 6.3
|
| | |
| | |
3. ENQUIRIES
There were 7,238 visitors in 1999, the majority of whom were
farmers and/or producers.
Enquiries by telephone, fax etc:
| Agri-Environmental Schemes Unit | 5,100
|
| Information Unit | 1,355 |
| Beef Unit | 25,295 |
| Livestock Schemes Unit | 20,100
|
| AAPS Unit | 25,000 |
| Objective 5B/Rural Development Unit | 1,820
|
| Total | 78,670 |
| |
Correspondence, in the year to March 2000, requiring a reply
under Citizen's Charter totalled 4,202. Those replied to within
10 working days were 4,186 (99.62 per cent).
4. NUMBER OF
STAFF
Staff in post as at 1 April 2000—254.5.
5. FACILITIES AVAILABLE
The Nottingham office is a single storey Government building,
covering 3,165.3 square metres, situated on a complex "owned"
by Land Registry. The office has been subject to a substantial
upgrade in recent years at modest cost and now provides flexible
and largely open plan facilities. It is situated on the Nottingham
ring road and is twenty minutes from the M1. The town centre is
three miles away and is served by an excellent bus service.
FACILITIES FOR
THE OFFICE'S
CUSTOMERS:
A security guard system deals with customers as they enter
the site and provides them with directions to the Reception area
and appropriate parking spaces. There is car parking for up to
25 visitors and one designated disabled parking spot, a disabled
unisex toilet, and an induction loop in the reception area and
interview room. Two interview rooms and the reception are fitted
with panic buttons. A TV monitor displays information of interest
to farmers/producers.
Facilities for Staff
There is a staff restaurant which provides breakfast and
lunch and two kitchens as well as picnic tables and benches provided
by Land Registry for use of all staff on the complex. The conference
room has an induction loop and there are video conferencing facilities.
There is adequate parking on the complex for MAFF staff and 12
covered ports for motor cycles and bicycles.
6. USE OF
IT
No regional difference or exercises.
7. PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Performance measures are indicated in the tables under Paragraph
2—Schemes and in Paragraph 3—Enquiries.
8. RELATIONSHIPS WITH
OTHER AGENCIES
Nottingham RSC has a strong relationship with other Government
Departments, Agencies, local authorities and agricultural sector
organisations in the East Midlands region. The Regional Liaison
Group chaired by the Regional Director which involves the NFU,
CLA, T&GWU, Womens Farming Union and Tenant Farmers Association
meets twice a year to discuss key issues affecting the agricultural
industry. Similarly the Regional Agri-Environmental Consultation
Group of which English Nature, Peak National Park Authority, FWAG,
RSPB, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, FRCA and the Ramblers
Association are members, meet bi-annually to report on and discuss
developments within their organisations in relation to MAFF's
Agri-Environmental Schemes.
The Regional Programming Group (formerly the Regional Planning
Group) which was responsible for the drafting and consultation
process for the England Rural Development Plan has involved liaison
with the Government Office for the East Midlands, East Midlands
Development Agency, Countryside Agency, English Heritage, English
Nature, Environment Agency, Rural Community Council, De Montfort
University and the Regional Assembly. In future the Regional Programming
Group will be responsible for regional decisions on the running
of the programme when approved by the European Commission.
Also staff at the RSC participate either directly or indirectly
with FRCA on a wide range of regional fora on rural and environmental
issues. These are continuing to grow due to our increased involvement
in the Rural Development Regulation. Our strong relationship with
the Government Office for the East Midlands features heavily in
this work which also involves the East Midlands Development Agency
and Regional Assembly.
9. LOCAL INITIATIVE
OR CIRCUMSTANCES
There are a number of local initiatives with which rural
development and agri-environment staff are becoming involved namely
the East Midlands Development Agency's Market Towns Initiative,
South Holland Rural Action Zone, Nottinghamshire Organic Food
Project, North Derbyshire/North Nottinghamshire Rural Development
Partnership, Trent Valley Flood Plain Initiative. Two members
of staff are also involved in Nottingham's Common Purpose programme.
Other local initiatives include roadshows for IACS form collection
held at various locations around the region. Also this RSC offers
placements for work experience for pupils at local schools in
Nottingham, over the last few years there has been an excellent
uptake.
11 May 2000
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