Environment, Food and Rural Affairs CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Shropshire Council
1.0 About Shropshire
1.1 Shropshire is a large, sparsely populated rural county, covering 319,730 hectares. 2011 Census figures indicate a population of 306,100, under one person per hectare. Of significance in rural policy terms, particularly health and social care implications, is that the population aged +65 years has risen from 18.1% of the total Shropshire population in 2001 to 20.7% in 2011, compared to 16.4% for England and Wales.
1.2 The unitary authority takes an active part in the Rural Services Network (RSN) and in the County Councils Network (CCN) of the Local Government Association, as well as participating in collaborative initiatives with other local authorities and through Defra. At sub-regional and local level, the authority works across boundaries and sectors through such vehicles as the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with Herefordshire and Telford and Wrekin; the Shadow Health and Well Being Board; and the Shropshire Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly.
1.3 The authority welcomes opportunity to provide commentary on the work of Defra and the Rural Communities Policy Unit (RCPU), and a Shropshire perspective on where Government priorities could usefully focus to support rural communities.
2.0 Rural Funding, Policy making and Good Practice
2.1 As an example of how Government policies are projected to help rural communities, this Council welcomes acknowledgement, in current CLG consultation on business rates, that correction is warranted to funding formulae to recognise the additional expense of providing services in rural areas. This follows evidence presented by this Council and others, particularly through the RSN, which demonstrates not only the value of robust evidence, but also the value placed by Government on the role of local authorities in working collaboratively with Government to achieve fair and equitable outcomes.
2.2 The authority would want to see this approach replicated across Whitehall, and timely use made of evidence, drawing on the considerable body of research already available through Defra and from other sources.
2.3 We also want to see use made by more Government departments of data about the projected and actual impact of national policy- making on rural communities and businesses, from those well placed to provide continuing real-time comparative studies of these impacts, such as the RSN, and from local authorities themselves. Proof that such data has been referred to could be a useful recommendation for the Committee to consider.
2.4 We echo CCN commentary to the Committee on funding, including:
“…the importance of considering the particular demographics of rural England in delivering any solution to the challenge of meeting growing adult social care costs. “
2.5 We would add that it has never been more important, in a climate of austerity, to share practice about what does and does not work. We see this as including a focus on greater understanding of rural and urban interdependencies, for example around food security, leading to a greater understanding of locality. In Shropshire, we do this through our Place Plans approach of working in partnership with communities to deliver local priorities in our 18 market towns and rural hinterlands, using mechanisms such as the Community Infrastructure Levy, and our Toolkit approach to planning policy.
3.0 Defra and the Rural Communities Policy Unit
3.1 Progress with overall objectives
3.1.1 Shropshire Council welcomes the commitments made to supporting rural communities, and to the benefits and potential of the natural environment to improve health and well being, as indicated in Defra’s Business Plan for 2012- 2015, particularly Priority 3: “support a strong and sustainable green economy, including thriving rural communities, resilient to climate change”. Positive actions underway, and actions under Priority 1:”support and develop British farming and encourage sustainable food production” and Priority 2: “enhance the environment and biodiversity to improve quality of life”, indicate that the RCPU is making progress on objectives. The Council cites the following:
In March 2011, the RCPU set up the first of regular Round Table meetings open to all LEPs, not just those with a more overtly rural remit. Government attendees have included BIS and CLG as well as officials from other policy areas within Defra, and CRC leads on legacy projects. These events enable information sharing on matters of rural and urban interest in achieving sustainable economic growth, such as ecosystems services; and collaborative policy development such as around the Government’s Rural Economy Growth Review and the pilot Rural Growth Networks (RGNS).
The RCPU has sought to learn more about localities, with two Round Tables being organised outside London (Leeds and Shropshire), and with pilot RGNs deliberately selected to give as broad a range of geographies and approaches as possible. We look forward to shared learning on this, and to recent staff changes within the RCPU adding to a wider pool of personnel across Defra and in Government with an informed awareness of rurality and locality.
The RCPU has also actively sought evidence and views from a wide range of policy networks, and through a range of mechanisms to aid horizon scanning, as well as sharing information through such means. Examples of note include attendance at Rural Coalition and CCN Rural Affairs Policy Network meetings, and linking with the RSN on calls for evidence about rural service provision.
3.1.2 Shropshire Council echoes CCN response that since the creation of the RCPU, Defra has been:
“…open to strong engagement both with territorial representatives of rurality (with local authorities and the new Rural and Farming Networks), and with organisations defining themselves as having a strong rural interest (such as the members of the Rural Coalition).”
3.1.3 We also concur with the Herefordshire Council response:
“Encourage the RCPU to work with Local Government, rural networks and civil society organisations to encourage and promote improved provision of support and services in rural communities. “
3.1.4 Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council collaborated on a successful joint bid to establish a Local Nature Partnership (LNP), becoming one of 41 LNPs set up through Defra. We are delighted to be working across our borders to protect and improve the natural environment, linked with local endeavours around health and well-being; and we endorse the commitments on this by Defra at national level.
3.2 Progress with rural proofing
3.2.1 The publication through the RCPU of revised rural proofing materials, in July 2012, is a good example of partnership working. The RCPU commissioned people with known expertise in this field; involved key policy networks in a tightly scoped steering group; encouraged inclusion of local government and the voluntary and community sector in calls for evidence and in resultant work to produce these materials; and ensured that the work was not itself held back from publication pending the Government’s Rural Statement.
3.2.2 This Council was pleased to help the RCPU in this work, and we urge active use made of the materials not only by other local authorities, by LEPs, and by public sector bodies at local level such as NHS Foundation Trusts, but also by the RPCU across Defra and across Whitehall. We regard rural proofing as being about mainstreaming rurality into decision making processes and as being about developing a greater understanding of place and locality.
3.2.3 Whilst aware that Defra has ability to require other Departments to carry out rural proofing of policy, we are mindful that lessons need to learned from experiences of efforts to mainstream use of Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) fully into decision-making processes, rather than “retro-fit”. There is much to be gained in our view from adoption of the following actions:
Within Defra: RCPU is in good position to help raise the profile of Rural and Farming Networks (RFNs) as critical friends in rural proofing policy; Shropshire Council has already recommended that RFNs are in pole position to help LEPs by rural proofing draft LEP Business Plans. RCPU could also usefully work with other Defra policy areas, beginning with rural proofing of policy evolvement around the LNPs and clarity of how these may complement RGN activity. LNPs have the potential to be vehicles for cross-Departmental working across health and well-being policy, planning policy, and economic growth including realising the value of natural capital, in effect acting as Trojan horses to aid Defra and local authorities and their partners in rural proofing.
At national Departmental level: dissemination by the RCPU of rural proofing exemplars could help to improve quality of rural awareness across Whitehall. Shropshire Council endorses the RSN recommendation that the EFRA Committee itself has a potential role to play in reviewing rural proofing decisions of departments from time to time in its scrutiny role. The Committee would in effect then be a critical friend to the RCPU in these endeavours.
At national Government policy level: usage of rural proofing alongside EIAs, etc, through development stages of a policy from Green Paper through to legislation, would enable Defra to work collaboratively with officials engaged in other appraisals as well as with policy makers. This could help to break down silos as well as improving policy. Impending changes in public health present another policy area where Defra needs to ensure that rural proofing takes place, working through Health and Well Being Boards at local level and with the DWP and the DoH in particular at national level, given their own critical roles in facilitating joint delivery of acute health, public health and social care.
3.3 Progress with rural grants and funding
3.3.1 We have been heartened by the RCPU’s commitment to help bring superfast broadband to our most isolated communities, through the Rural Community Broadband Fund, and by the principle for this to include Uplands areas, and communities that may not benefit immediately from other investment.
3.3.2 The RPCU has also demonstrated willingness to ensure that organisations with whom it engages are provided with up-to-date information about rural grants and funding. The Council welcomed efforts to seek to open up the Regional Growth Fund for use by RGNs, and acknowledgement of the merits of opening up Government policy to include rural deals as well as city deals.
3.3.3 We noted inclusion in RGN funding of support for women-led enterprises, and found much else of merit in the Rural Economy Growth Review.
4.0 Government Policy: Government Rural Statement; Rural Voice
4.1 Government’s Rural Statement
4.1.1 Shropshire Council is looking to the long awaited Statement to deliver real commitment to action. Things change in the countryside just as quickly as in more urban settings, and we want to see tangible evidence that Government policy will be flexible in recognising and responding to change. Evidence of the need for change is key; thus it is in the commissioning and analysis of evidence from a range of sources that the role of the RPCU is so important.
4.1.2 There is universal resonance as well as rural significance to the priorities that we recommend should be included in the Rural Statement. These chime with Bristol Accord principles of sustainability as well as with existing priorities (housing, broadband, services, transport and fuel). Greater recognition is warranted regarding demographic changes and health and well-being challenges; lack of choice and opportunity about services; food security and provenance; and the challenge and opportunity afforded by the natural environment and by infrastructure requirements in rural areas.
4.2 Rural Voice
4.2.1 We think there is not so much one voice as many, all with views to articulate and constituencies on whose behalf to act as advocates.
4.2.2 We see RFNs as being potentially more than a voice direct to the ears of Ministers, if tasked and resourced accordingly, and routed into the RCPU. This should be complemented by recognition of the value of policy networks like the RSN and CCN, working with local authorities and MPs. If the RCPU is to become the Government’s first turn on the dial in tuning into such voices, it is apparent to us that it needs to be resourced accordingly, and tasked with reporting to the EFRA Committee on progress.
September 2012