Annex
Half way through the year we have met 80 per
cent of our Corporate Plan targets. Some have been delayed due
to foot-and-mouth. At the 12 month point we expect to have met
95 per cent of targets.
In the last 12 months we have delivered:
— our input into Rural White Paper
resulted in new investment in the countryside: £5 million
on parish plans, £15 million for parish transport and £15
million to help village services;
— an ambitious new strategy setting
out our work programme;
— initiated and ran two grant schemes
in response to foot-and-mouth: the charity match-funding scheme
and help with re-opening footpaths—each set up within two
weeks of go-ahead;
— £2.3 million of grants to people
living in 249 villages;
— health checked 57 number of market
towns with another 80 waiting in the wings this year;
— two regions mapped for open access
land—first major milestone in delivering the CROW Act;
— the first comprehensive map of essential
services in rural England; and
— 20 indicators which will be developed
to measure the state of England's countryside—our rural
barometer.
using good practice examples we have previously
funded, the Agency has now persuaded:
— The Housing Corporation has published
a policy statement to the effect that it will ensure that all
its future policies will be carefully rural proofed.
— Wealden Council have announced that
it will be rural proofing all its housing policies with other
councils indicating they will follow suit.
— Working with the EU and supportive
local farmers, our Peak District Land Management Initiative has
persuaded local farmers to pool their production subsidies to
pay for improved land management practices instead.
FACTS AND
FIGURES ABOUT
THE AGENCY
Human resources
96 per cent of our staff (at H grade and above)
hold a degree (or above) in a relevant subject area.
Budget
£70 million per annum.
Offices
Headquarters in Cheltenham and London, and offices
in eight regions.
November 2001
| 
