Broads & Rivers LEADER+ in detail
Broads and Rivers in detail
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Managing the Programme
Implementing the Programme
Contact Details
The Start of the Programme
LEADER+ is an initiative to assist rural communities in improving the quality of life and economic prosperity of their local areas. The Broads & Rivers Programme is one scheme of 25 in England; and one of many hundred within Europe.
Although the Brecks area in the west of the county had had experience of LEADER 11, and members involved in this programme informed others of the opportunities provided by LEADER+, the area was new to LEADER and much of the early phase was spent on informing people about the approach.
A number of meetings were held during the first half of 2001 and the outline of the programme began to build up.
After further meetings and consultations the Development Plan was produced. This outlines the key challenges within the area and sets out the broad strategy and priorities to be addressed. This was the key doument that was submitted to Defra, (who managed the LEADER+ programme nationally), and it provides comprehensive details of how the Broads and Rivers programme was to be delivered.
You can download the Broads and Rivers Development Plan as a .PDF file, by clicking here.
The Aims and Objectives
The programme aimed to improve economic prosperity and quality of life for rural communities in and around the Norfolk Broads, by developing new relationships linking the rural economy with the local environment and its communities, so that each supports the other.
The Broads & Rivers Programme provided funding to projects that contributed to one or more of the following objectives:
1. Increase knowledge and understanding of the countryside and skills in environmental management
2. Protect and enhance the local countryside and historic environment including the traditional landscape and cultural and architectural features
3. Encourage sustainable natural resource management including the use of renewable energy
4. Increase local economic and environmental benefits from tourist and recreational activity
5. Improve links between market towns and surrounding areas to increase job opportunities and provision of rural services
In addition to the above, there are two overarching objectives that relate to all LEADER+ Programmes:
To build capacity in local rural communities and assist in facilitating them to work together to address local needs and issues
To support local rural communities in developing and implementing integrated, high quality, innivative strategies for sustainable development
Typically European Union programmes refer to themes, and Development Plans were required to specify up to two of four possible choices, which were most apt to their programme. The above objectives complement one or both of the following themes
- The use of know how and new technology to make the products and services of rural areas more competitive
- Making the best use of natural and cultural resources, including enhancing the value of sites designated under Natura 2000.
The Broads & Rivers Programme focussed on an area of eastern Norfolk just over 1,000 km2, covering 128 parishes within parts of the four district councils of Broadland, Great Yarmouth, North Norfolk and South Norfolk. Projects supported by LEADER+ could extend beyond these boundaries but they must provide benefit to the communities within the project area.
The following parishes were included:
Broadland
Acle Beighton Belaugh Cantley Freethorpe Halvergate Lingwood/Burlingham Rackheath Reedham Salhouse South Walsham Strumpshaw Upton Woodbastwick Wroxham
Great Yarmouth
Ashby w Oby Belton Burgh Castle Filby Fleggburgh Fritton/ St Olaves Hemsby Martham Mautby Repps w Bastwick Rollesby Somerton Stokesby w Herringby Thurne Winterton-on-Sea
North Norfolk
Ashmanhaugh Bacton Barton Turf with Irstead Brumstead Catfield Dilham East Ruston Happisburgh Hickling Honing Horning Horsey Hoveton Ingham Lessingham Ludham Neatishead Potter Heigham Sea Palling Sloley Smallburgh Stalham Sutton Tunstead Witton Worstead
South Norfolk
Alburgh Aldeby Alpington Ashby St Mary Bedingham Bergh Apton Bixley Bramerton Bressingham Brockdish Brooke Broome Burgh St Peter Burston Caister St Edmund Carleton St Peter Chedgrave Claxton Denton Dickleborough Diss Ditchingham Earsham Ellingham Geldeston Gillingham Gissing Haddiscoe Hales Heckingham Hedenham Hellington Hempnall Holverston Howe Kirby Bedon Kirby Cane Kirkstead Langley w Hardley Loddon Morningthorpe Mundham Needham Norton Subcourse Pulham Market Pulham St Mary Raveningham Redenhall with Harleston Rockland St Mary Roydon Scole Seething Shelfhanger Shelton Sisland Starston Stockton Surlingham Thurlton Thurton Thwaite Tibenham Tivetshall St Margaret Tivetshall St Mary Toft Monks Topcroft Trowse Newton Wheatacre Winfarthing Woodton Wortwell Yelverton
Key Characteristics of the Area
The area is an important wetland inhabitated by nearly 100,000 people. During the preparation of the Development Plan it was recognised that many of the traditional industries were in decline, there was an increase in commuting out of the area (particularly to Norwich and Great Yarmouth), and a loss of local services, village shops, pubs and garages, particularly from the smaller village communities.
Rural isolation was identified as a problem, which was exacerbated by the steady decline in services, most affecting those on low incomes, single parents, the elderly and other economically inactive people.
The economy was heavily dependent on the agricultural, tourism and boatbuilding sectors; however, the agrciultural sector due to external commercial pressure has experience a steady decline in the number of people employed in the sector over many years.
Tourism is characterised by a seasonal economy and workforce and jobs typically part time and low paid.
The boat building sector has experienced continued growth despite the decline in the number of boating holidays in the Broads, with a large percentage of the work carried out for the export market. However, recruitment into the sector is difficult as the relatively small number of employees results in few mainstream training courses.
Managing the Programme
The Local Action Group
The Programme was overseen by a local partnership called a Local Action Group (or LAG for short). This comprised representatives from local government, community and voluntary groups and key sectors of the local business community. The LAG was responsible for agreeing the Programme’s overall strategy and for the approval of all projects.
As well as the Local Action Group, there was also a wider Broads & Rivers Partnership for people who were interested in and supportive of the Programme aims, though unable or unwilling to commit to full LAG membership. Partnership members received information updates and were invited to meetings about twice a year, to allow a wider group to feed ideas for future development of the scheme.
It was always envisaged that the LAG would be a fluid group, and its membership would change throughout the duration of the Programme. At times efforts were made to enhance LAG membership and representatives from local organisations were approached to see if they wished to join. After the mid term review in September 2004, representatives from organisations that had been awarded grants were invited to join.
However, although the Local Action Group had a constition it was not a legal entity, and the County Council was the body that took on this management responsibility.
The role of the County Council
Norfolk County Council coordinates administration on behalf of the Local Action Group, employing two members of staff who worked full time on the Broads & Rivers LEADER+ programme. The staff were attached to the Economic Development Unit within the Chief Executives department, and initially were based in County Hall.
The Programme Officer helped those interested to develop their projects and complete the necessary application forms. The Monitoring & Support Officer coordinated the appraisal of applications, looked after financial matters and provided on-going support to projects once they had been approved.
One of the constraints of the LEADER 11 programme was the inability of the rural community council to provide funding in advance, and this resulted in many small organisations not being able to participate in the programme. This capacity to be able to offer advances was one of the key reasons for the County Council to be the Accountable Body.
As the programme matured it was recognised that greater independence would be achievable if the staff were based out, and the office moved to Guildhall Hill.
Programme Monitoring
As indicated, the Broads and Rivers Programme was overseen on a daily basis by two staff who had dual reporting lines; to the chair of the Local Action Group and to personnel within the Economic Development Unit of the County Council.
The programme was also overseen by the Regional Programme Monitoring Committee, which was facilitated by staff from Government Office East, based in Cambridge. This regional Monitoring Committee, also referred to as the Operating Group, met quarterly and were responsible for overseeing the administration of the programme in the region. In the eastern region this in effect, related to the Broads and Rivers Programme and the Fens LeAP programme.
The committee comprised of representatives from Defra, English Heritage, English Nature, Forestry Commission, Environment and Countryside Agencies and EEDA, and they approved larger projects (over £60,000 EAGGF), signed off yearly Action Plans, and agreed budgets and financial transfers between measures.
On the national basis the Programme was overseen by Defra, which was responsible for the overall administration of the programme, including producing the numerous sets of Guidance Notes, outlinging the rules and regulations for the various aspects of the programme. Refer to the Defra link for more details about these aspects.
For a community based programme, the monitoring mechanisms were very comprehensive, and for many voluntary organisations considered to be quite bureaucratic. Significant time was required by the two staff members to shoulder the burden of this bureaucracy, so that at the village level implementation and monitoring could proceed as smoothly as possible.
Programme Finances
The programme was just over £4.2 million, which includes about £1.4 million of European Union funds from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), £375,000 from Defra. In addition, at the outset a "Public Pot" was established and this secured nearly one million, with contributions from Norfolk County Council, the East of ENgland Development Agency, and the four district councils.
It is believed that this was the only programme within the country that secured this additional funding, and it enabled the programme to fully support a number of initiaitves that were considered key to achieving the targets outlined in the Development Plan.
Implementing the Programme
After the Development Plan was approved by Defra, two people were recruited to assist in the management of the programme. During the development stages a number of concepts had already been identifed and the Programme Officer had a number of leads to assist get the projects fully developed.
In addition a number of workshops were held throughout the Programme area in order to inform more people about the initiaitve and to encourage applications.
Click here if you would like to see details of some of the projects that were supported
Project applicants should be one of the following:
· Legal entities from the public, voluntary or community sectors.
· Groupings of businesses (associations, co-operatives etc.) can apply for projects that benefit a number of businesses (joint marketing, shared equipment and so on).
· Individual businesses can also apply for funding as long as they can demonstrate that there will be benefits spread to the wider community or flowing out to other businesses.
During the development phase it was largely agreed that the programme was not aimed at individual businesses, and it was agreed at an early LAG meeting that they would be eligible to receive a grant of up to 15% of total costs.
There was only one such grant awarded and this was relatively modest at a little over £5,000, and was for Bure Valley Adventures for access improvements to the Bewilderwood, near Horning.
Farmers with projects that meet the LEADER+ aims and objectives could apply, and were categorised as a business. However, agricultural businesses were eligible for a number of other grant schemes that were regarded as more suitable, and in the few instances the Programme Officer referred them to alternative funding sources.
The Application Process
This section deals primarily with applications into the main scheme. As indicated above it was recognised from the outset that the level of bureaucracy involved in the progrmme would be offputting to most small community groups, and for this reason the programme established a "Community Chest", which was a small grant fund with much simplifed procedures for applying. It was managed by the Norfolk Rural Community Council and extended several times during the Programme. Click here for more details about this.
The Programme Officer offered substantial support during the application process, and potential applicants were encouraged to initially submit an Expression of Interest, which was a one page summary of key elements. Where the sitaution was not straighforward this would be discussed at the next LAG meeting, where members would provide guidance about how the concept may be best taken forward. In addition they would normally provide contact details of people you would be able to assist in this process.
In addition to the LEADER+ themes and aims, the programme contained a number of components and applicants were required to demonstrate how their individual projects integrated these components into their implementation strategies. These included innovation, sustainability, equality of opportunity, amongst others, and the Programme Officer provided assistance with these aspects, as well as with guiding them through the myriad of EU and Defra rules and regulations that governed the Programme. Click if you would like to see a copy of the application form together with guidance notes
In certain cases, the programme, due to establishing what we termed the Public Pot, was able to fund 100% of project costs. However, typically it contributed between 25% and 75% of the funding.
Broads & Rivers LEADER+ operated a rolling programme with applications being appraised at each Local Action Group meeting. These meetings occurred roughly every two months.
The Appraisal Process
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Programme Outputs
The Broads & Rivers Programme aims are outlined above, and projects were required to contribute to one or more of these and also ensure that benefits would accrue to those who are unemployed or underemployed. This was in recognition of the area's relatively high levels of poorly paid and seasonal employment.
As mentioned in the above section, applications were assessed on the extent to which they contributed to Programme outputs. The Development Plan outlined a large number of outputs and results that would be achieved and throughout the implementation great attention was allocated to monitoring the extent to which projects contributed towards these outputs.
If you would like to see more details about the outputs and the contributions made by the various projects please click here.
What percentage can I claim from my total costs?
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Contact Details
