Monday, December 31, 2012


New Year Focus on Combating Rural Crime

Landowners, farmers and businesses across Devon and Cornwall will be joining forces with the police early in the New Year to host two major events aimed at combating rural crime.

The events, titled ‘Preventing Crime in Rural Communities' take place in February and bring together representatives of the Country Land and Business Association, the National Farmers’ Union and the Devon and Cornwall Police along with experts from private security firms, the insurance industry and specialist equipment suppliers who will all be looking at the ways and means of preventing crime in rural communities.

Rural crime costs millions of pounds a year; it impacts on police resources and on insurance premiums – which makes reducing rural crime a key policy area for both police and representative organisations.

The events, which are sponsored by regional law firm, Foot Anstey and the NFU Mutual Insurance Society, will take place at Westpoint, Exeter on 1 February and at the Pavilion at the Royal Cornwall Show ground, Wadebridge, on 15 February. Both events are free of charge and offer a one-stop- shop style advisory service as well as an exhibition and trade stands, all focused on crime prevention. Seminars will operate on a “drop in” basis with sessions throughout the day examining different aspects of the law and the whole range of rural crime from farm and estate security to wildlife and equestrian crime.

One focus of the day will be to look at whether individuals and businesses are doing all they can to reduce opportunities for criminals.

Bob Bunney, crime reduction advisor with Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “We are very keen to help people understand how to take control of the situation, to learn exactly how much they can do themselves to help reduce rural crime and then to offer clear information about how to act and who to contact.”

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer will introduce a keynote speech from Assistant Chief Constable, Paul Netherton - who will talk about the reality of rural policing and the options for the future – and from NFU Vice President, Adam Quinney. A representative of the NFU Mutual Insurance Society will speak about the impact of rural crime on the insurance industry.

Mr Mortimer said: “We welcome this opportunity of working with the NFU and Devon and Cornwall police to highlight the growing menace of rural crime – and to explore ways of combating it.

“What is frequently not understood is that the true cost of farm theft and other rural crime is more than simply the value of the items taken. There is the cost of lost production time, of repairing the damage caused plus the risk of livestock straying due to gates being left open or fencing taken down.

“These events aim to improve awareness of the opportunities to reduce crime and to help the police engage with CLA and NFU members - and the wider rural
Community - in a drive to improve communications and deliver a service that meets expectations,” he said.

A full programme for each event can be downloaded from :


To reserve a place at either of the events, contact the CLA South West Office on 01249 700281 or online at www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents

Wednesday, November 7, 2012




CLA Asks Candidates for their Vision of Rural Policing

Country people need to make sure their votes count in the elections for the new Police and Crime Commissioner in order to make sure the needs of the countryside are not forgotten or swamped by the demands of urban areas – according to the Country Land and Business Association.

At meetings across the South West this week, landowners have called on candidates standing for election as Commissioners on 15 November to make sure they understand the challenges of policing rural areas as they develop plans for managing the county constabularies.

The CLA has written to all the candidates standing for election pointing them towards its manifesto on rural crime and asking them to ensure that the rural dimension is given proper consideration and effective representation in any new structures.

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, said: “Metal and fuel theft, poaching and fly-tipping are crimes that have a huge impact on rural businesses and communities – and it is vital that the needs of rural communities and the essential and ongoing fight against rural crime is properly understood by the candidates in these elections.”

The CLA is also looking for reassurance from the Commissioners that funds will be available to train officers on how to respond in rural areas and that they will make sure they are in touch with rural communities and rural issues by making contact with representative groups.

“We have over 6,000 members in the South West who own and manage the raw materials of economic activity - land and buildings - but a rural crime costs private landowners millions of pounds a year and poses a real threat to the stability of the rural economy.

“It is essential that these issues are fully and properly understood by the new Commissioner and that our members are represented on any partnerships he or she may seek to establish in the future. It is equally important that everybody who lives or works in the countryside makes sure their voice is heard by taking part and voting in these forthcoming elections,” said Mr Mortimer.

The CLA is concerned that diminishing budgets and increasing demands on police time could result in resources being directed towards favouring more heavily populated urban areas – and says it will be important for the new Commissioners to appreciate the genuine concerns of rural businesses and rural communities.


Friday, November 2, 2012

CLA look at private sector solutions for affordable housing


CLA look at private sector solutions for affordable housing

A Government report published earlier this year highlighted the need to increase the provision of let housing being built or financed by the private sector – yet many who attempt to venture down that route find themselves frustrated by rules and regulations, by unhelpful tax regimes and difficulties obtaining finance.
This month the Country Land and Business Association is offering would be developers a chance to hear expert guidance on finding the right way through the obstacles at a conference due to be held at Muddifords Court Country House, Willand, Cullompton.

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, says many CLA members would like to help reduce the national housing shortage by increasing the number of new homes available to let in rural areas.

“In the past land owners made land available “outside the planning envelope” to allow for affordable housing but the ability to provide such housing and the encouragement to do so has gradually been eroded. With the new Localism Agenda  and a new CLA policy document on rural housing currently being debated, there could not be a better time for the CLA to engage with its members to highlight the opportunities that already exist and to seek new views on how the system might be changed for the better.”

The event will include presentations from the CLA’s own Housing Advisor, Danielle Troop,
who has previously worked on housing-led regeneration, and affordable housing delivery, will outline the political background to the rural housing agenda and the CLA’s policy objectives.

There will also be presentations from the Director of Rural Housing Solutions, Jo Lavis, from Simon Conibear of the Duchy of Cornwall who will talk about the Poundbury development, from Martin Page, Land Director of First Step Homes and from expert representatives of the sponsors, Savills and Clarke Willmott.
“There are obstacles which stand in the way of private sector investment in affordable housing, such as whether the localism agenda will encourage or thwart those ambitions; whether national planning policy will assist us in finding new ways to provide housing and what to do about a  tax system  that positively hinders growth for private landlords, we have assembled a formidable amount of expertise within our panel who, between them, will know how to pick a way through the minefield and discover the opportunities that lie on the other side,” said Mr Mortimer.
The event, titled “Rural Housing: The Challenges and Opportunities for Landowners” is being held at Muddifords Court Country House, Willand, Cullompton,  on Thursday 22 November from 1.30pm - 5.30pm the cost is  £20.00 for CLA Members and £35.00 non-members and tickets can be reserved via the CLA regional office on 01249 700200 or at southwest@cla.org.uk

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Common Sense decision on Chinese Lanterns




31 October 2012

Common Sense decision on Chinese Lanterns  


The Government’s decision to take a close look at the risks posed by Chinese lanterns, or Sky Lanterns, is a breakthrough for common sense – according to the CLA in the South West.

But with Bonfire Night approaching, the CLA’s South West Director, John Mortimer, is asking people to think again before they include sky lanterns as part of their celebrations.

The Association, which has been part of the campaign for action to minimise the potential for damage from the lanterns, believes that the risk of fire to land and property, and threat to people, livestock and pets simply cannot justify the continued use of what many people are now coming to appreciate is far more than just a decorative light in the night sky.

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, said: “Clearly the Minister has accepted our arguments that these devices do pose a threat to livestock, crops and property. Even some manufacturers seem to accept that there is an element of significant risk because of the detailed safety instructions they publish – but we say they are actually a potentially lethal fire risk.”

As well as the fire risk, the wire frames used in many of the lanterns have caused injury and proven fatal to livestock.

“Although there are safety instructions on many packs, the responsibility remains firmly with the person who releases the naked flame - and they have no control over where it lands. I would urge anyone considering using sky lanterns to think again and ask themselves if they would set one off towards their own house.”

Even in open countryside, dry crops such as hay and straw, barns, houses, farmyards, and woodland, people and animals could be put at risk. There is also widespread concern among the emergency services – particularly the coastguard - about their use.

“It cannot be right that one group of people’s so-called celebrations can cause at best anxiety, and at worst real damage, to others so we are please to read that the Government has decided to take this issue seriously and have a proper look at the safety issues,” he said.
-Ends-



Wednesday, September 26, 2012



Broadband Policy - CLA in Twitter Q&A
The CLA head of Rural Business Development Dr Charles Trotman will appear in a twitter Q&A session on Thursday 27 September between 2.30pm and 3.30pm GMT.
Dr Trotman is author of the CLA's vision for rural broadband "Broadband Fit for Rural Growth" he will take part in the Q&A to answer questions on this important broadband policy document, which was launched on Monday this week.
To take part simply use the hashtag #CLAchat with your question or comment. You can also DM your questions in advance to @clamidlands and we will ask them on your behalf during the session.
We anticipate a lot of interest and we will do our best get through as many as we can.
Broadband Fit for Rural Growth can be downloaded 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Rural Housing: The Challenges & Opportunities for Landowners

CLA South West
Muddifords Court Country House, Willand, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2QG
Thursday 22 November - 1.30 - 5.30
Sponsored by Savills, Clarke Willmott and First Step Homes

With a recently appointed National Housing Advisor and a new policy document on rural housing being debated there could not be a better time for the CLA to engage with its members to highlight the opportunities that already exist and to seek your views on how the system might be changed for the better. 

In order to win success in our lobbying, we need to understand the real and practical issues confronting land owners when they seek to meet the challenge of housing provisions but this seminar will also enable us to present advice on how best to achieve business and personal objectives within the current political and regulatory regimes.

2.00pm          Chairman’s welcome and Introduction
                        Charles Hignett, CLA Somerset Branch Chairman

2.10pm          CLA’s Rural Housing Agenda
                       
Danielle Troop, CLA Housing Adviser
Outline of the political background to the rural housing agenda and the CLA’s policy objectives.

2.30pm          Overcoming the Obstacles
                       
Jo Lavis, Rural Housing Solutions
Obstacles in the system and how landowners negotiate the tricky path around them

2.50pm          The Poundbury Experience
                       
Simon Conibear, Duchy of Cornwall
A practical case study of how a major landowner has delivered a major housing development in their own right

3.10pm          Planning the Right Approach
                        Savills – Justin Lascelles
Mervyn Jones, Savills Housing Consultancy Group & member of the CLA Housing working group
                        Dealing with the planning system for successful project fruition

3.30pm          Tea

4.00pm          First Steps for Landowners and Buyers
                        Martin Page, Land Director, First Step Homes
Partnerships between landowners with small to medium scale potential and
housing delivery through fully commercial models

4.30pm          Legal Challenges
                        Clarke Willmott – Tim Walker
Outline of the key legal issues to be addressed with any rural housing development.

4.50pm          Charity Begins at Home
                        Ian Bell, Director, The Addington Fund
Charitable delivery of rural housing and the importance of the landowner’s capacity to assist delivery
                                                               
5.10pm          Q&A and Panel Discussion

5.30pm          Close

To book call 01249 700200 or email han.morrison@cla.org.uk or www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents

Friday, May 11, 2012

Devon Show Debate will Explore the Questions for the Countryside. With food and farming bubbling up the political agenda, visitors to next week’s Devon County Show will be able to ask some of the best brains in the business what they think are the questions confronting the countryside. “Questions for the Countryside” is the title of the CLA breakfast-time debate on the first day of the Devon Show (Thursday May 17) when CLA national president, Harry Cotterell, will lead a team of panellists which includes Countryfile’s Adam Henson, Julie Girling MEP, Tony Richardson, South West Director of the RSPB and David Fursdon, head of the South West Rural and Farming Network. The event is being held in conjunction with the show organisers and will take the form of an “Question Time” style discussion. CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, says he’s looking forward to a lively exchange on the key issues facing the countryside. “Reform to the CAP is certain to feature among the questions – but we’ll want to explore what is to become of the CAP beyond its 2014 reform - and whether this is the beginning of the end of a European wide subsidy regime? “I’m sure the weather won’t be too far from people’s thoughts and, although we have endured record rainfall over the past few weeks, floods and swamped fields still don’t appear to be enough to prevent the annual headache of water shortages. Perhaps the panel will be challenged to give their ideas on who should be doing what to solve the problem of water shortages.” Mr Mortimer said Devon audiences could usually be relied on to set the panel some tough questions but, he added, the level of expertise and experience among the panellists meant they should be more than capable of fielding a few fast balls. Devon Show Secretary, Ollie Allen, said: Agricultural shows offer an ideal platform for people involved in the industry – politically or practically - to talk about the really important issues of the day. The Show and the CLA have a long track record of working together and we both want to offer people the chance to hear about the issues from those involved the sharp end.” Admission to the event, which is sponsored by Michelmores and Knight Frank, is by ticket only and these are available to members of the CLA and their guests or to members of the DCAA. To apply for a ticket contact the CLA on 01249 700200

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

CLA urges South West farmers to reveal their good work

The CLA is urging farmers across the South West to stop hiding their light behind a bush and reveal how they are voluntarily protecting and enhancing the wildlife, soil and water - by completing the annual survey for the Campaign for the Farmed Environment.

The Association says it is vitally important for the farming industry to come forward with the evidence before the CFE initiative is reviewed by the Government.

The CLA is asking all of its members who receive the Survey, which has just been sent to 5,500 randomly selected farmers across England, to make every acre of voluntary management count.

CLA South West surveyor, Graham Clark, said: “Farmers undertake a great deal of voluntary environmental management through agri-environment schemes such as ELS and HLS - but this is usually unpaid and often unrecognised. Unless the industry can demonstrate that existing practices sufficiently benefit the environment, legislation may still be introduced adding further to the burden of red tape already suffocating the industry.

“South West farmers have plenty to be proud of, so please don’t keep your good work to yourself.”

For further information on CFE see http://www.cla.org.uk/Policy_Work/Campaign_for_the_farmed_environment/

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

CLA calls on the Government to follow up its pledge to ‘free-up’ farming

A Government pledge to free-up farming by slashing red tape will blow a breath of fresh air through the industry – according to the CLA, the Country Land and Business Association.

The comments follow the publication of the Government’s response to the report of the Farming Regulation Task Force – which was led by Richard Macdonald – and Farming Minister Jim Paice’s promise to follow the recommendations through and get on with the job of ridding the industry of red tape.

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer said: "Knocking down the barriers to economic growth in rural areas is essential if rural businesses are to play their part in delivering sustainable development.

“We are clear that cutting the mountains of paperwork and recognising the importance of online communications are key to winning the war on red tape, so we are pleased to see that Defra has made getting farmers online a top priority - but we remain to be convinced that the Government’s current plans will actually meet the needs of the 10 percent of rural communities who will not have access to superfast broadband.”

The CLA has also given an enthusiastic reception to proposals which will see regulators rewarding landowners for taking steps to maintain high farming and environmental standards with a much-needed reduction in red tape, inspections and form-filling – the so called "earned recognition."

The Task Force had, he said, been very effective in listening to land-based businesses and conveying their frustrations and concerns to Ministers – the challenge now was for the Government to ensure those recommendations were implemented quickly.

“It will require a change in attitude to farm businesses. This is about enabling land-based businesses to get on with their job and to do it as efficiently and effectively as we know they can – without the threat of a big stick.”


For further information and interviews please contact:
Paul Millard CLA South West Communications Manager on 01380 830179 or 07831 674345

For further information on the CLA please go to www.cla.org.uk

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

CLA Seminar Pulls in Leading Specialists on Public Access

Somerset will be the focal point for a major seminar on public access next month when three of the leading specialists in the field will come together to provide an analysis of the key issues confronting all those involved in the debate on the future of public access to land.

The seminar, which is being organised by the South West Region of the Country Land and Business Association in conjunction with lawyers, Dyne Drewett, will consider opportunities for improvements to access in the future as well as the problems of the present. The speakers will be Sarah Slade, a Chartered Surveyor and the CLA‘s National Access Adviser; Dr Karen Jones, a Barrister with Tanfield Chambers and former head of the CLA legal department and Jonathan Cheal, a solicitor and partner with Dyne Drewett who is a leading rights of way lawyer.

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, says access issues affect every county across the South West – but Somerset had been chosen as a venue for the event because it offered clear examples of the difficulties confronting land owners and managers as well as the difficulties confronting those charged with managing public access.

Somerset, he said, also provides a good example of one of the key issues the speakers will be discussing – which is what land owners should do when applications are made to re-establish rights of way across their land. Mr Mortimer said that Somerset County Council’s Rights of Way Department had received more than 200 applications for unrecorded rights of way to be included on its Definitive Map; many of which had been incorrectly submitted because insufficient efforts were made to contact the owners of the land affected.

Coastal Access, with its questions on spreading room and liability; the need for reforms to the Animals Act plus controversial legislation relating to village greens were, he said all presenting challenges for land owners and managers. At the same time, Government proposals for improving rights of way based on the Stepping Forward report were being developed - which meant that the policy agenda was also changing.

“Public access continues to raise issues which landowners must ensure they understand and they must also be certain that appropriate measures are in place to enable them to manage access successfully on their land. But if we really want to make our rights of way fit for 21st Century - rather than the 19th Century - then we need to move away from the premise of increasing the amount of access at whatever cost and we need instead to look at improving what is already there.”

The three speakers are leading figures in the access debate and bring a wealth of knowledge, specialism and practical experience to the table. The event is being held at Holbrook House, Wincanton, Somerset, on Tuesday 27 March 4pm-7pm and the cost is £17 for CLA members and £30 for non-members.

Places can be reserved by calling the CLA regional office on 01249 700200; by emailing sarah.fern@cla.org.uk ; or by going to www.regonline.co.uk/claswevents

CLA Charitable Trust sponsors opportunity for urban youngsters

A West Country based charity has just been given the first of a series of annual £10,000 donations from the CLA Charitable Trust – money which will be used to give youngsters from schools in inner city or disadvantaged areas a week on a working farm.

The first cheque was handed over at Wick Court, Gloucestershire, and this week where 30 children from a primary school in Enfield, Middlesex, were enjoying lambing, milking and carrying out the other daily tasks of farming life courtesy of the Farms for City Children Charity.

Wick Court is one of three farms operated by Farms for City Children which was founded by ‘Warhorse’ author Michael Morpurgo and his wife, Clare, at their farm at Nethercott, Devon.
The charity provides working holidays for around 3,000 youngsters from urban backgrounds across the UK on its three farms. For many it is their first experience of the countryside and their first opportunity to get close to farm animals.

The £10,000 a year donation agreement by the CLA Charitable Trust will be used to fund three separate one-week stays for a total of more than 100 children at one of the charity’s centres in Devon, Gloucestershire or Pembrokeshire. The money will also be targeted at providing farm breaks for youngsters with disabilities.

CLA Charitable Trust director Peter Geldart said: “The work of Farms for City Children matches the objective of the CLA Charitable Trust to promote education about the countryside to children from inner city schools. Without such opportunities these kids might never experience contact with farm animals or begin to understand where their food comes from.”

Farms for City Children Chief Executive Helen Chaloner said: “This fantastic support from the CLA Charitable Trust means so much to us. Our aim of giving city children an unforgettable experience staying on a working farm sits so well with the aims of the Trust. We are excited at the prospect of working closely together over the next few years.”
The key element, says the farm children’s manager, Heather Tarplee is that the youngsters get to do all the jobs on the farm from milking and feeding the cattle, chickens, sheep and pigs to mucking out the horse livery, working in the gardens and even pressing the apples for apple juice and cider at harvest time.
“We make sure they are involved in every aspect of work on the farm, they are not allowed games consoles and there are no televisions so they have to learn to engage with each other and with what’s going on around them – but by the end of a full day, they’re usually too tired for television,” she said.
Note to Newsdesks:
A photo of the presentation at Wick Court is available on request. Please respond to this email if you require a copy.
For further information on this news release please call Paul Millard,
CLA SW Communications Manager, on 01380 830179 or 07831 674345
For further information on the CLA please go to www.cla.org.uk
For further information on Farms for City Children please call Tracy Izod on 01837 55876

Sunday, January 29, 2012

CLA says Access Decision is a Retrograde Step

Natural England’s insistence on introducing a statutory right of access over land around Weymouth Bay will result in a negligent waste of money – according to the CLA, the Country Land and Business Association.

The comments follow the publication of Natural England’s document relating to the first stretch of the All-England Coastal Path: Coastal Access Weymouth Bay – which has been approved by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Caroline Spelman – but the CLA says it recreates public access that already exists and will represent a backward step in access provision for much of the proposed area.

CLA South West Director, John Mortimer, said that approximately 4 miles of the “new” route” is owned by the The Lulworth Estate which has provided open access and recreation areas along this stretch of coastline and the beaches for nearly 100 years. The estate, he said, had also provided an exemplary management regime, conserving and caring for the coast as well as providing a ranger service to maintain and repair the paths whenever needed and to ensure the safety of the users – at no cost at all to the public purse..

“Natural England is proposing to replace a system which has provided a fantastic public benefit for hundreds of thousands of people apid for by private finance with a statutory route.. That means Natural England will assume the responsibility for maintaining and managing the access and that they will also assume responsibility for the cost of doing so – and that is an indefensible waste of public money.”

Mr Mortimer said the situation at Lulworth was a clear demonstration that the access provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Act needed to be rethought.

Lulworth, he said, had not only looked after and conserved the coast, but had championed the World Heritage Site and made sure that the many thousands of visitors who come every year had every opportunity to access and enjoy what is a spectacular part of our natural heritage.

“This whole exercise appears to be a waste of time and money and appears to us represent more of a symbolic gesture than any improvement to access to the coast. People feel frustrated and let down because the vast majority of this part of our coast has been easily accessible from a combination of the South West Coast Path with additional access provided by the local land owners.”

CLA Dorset member, James Weld, the owner of the Lulworth Estate, said: ”This is a backward step in the provision of public access in the Lulworth area. It is very clear that Natural England do not have the resources to maintain the level of access previously provided and certainly not at the standard to which it has been kept for many years by the Estate.”

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Bid to reinstate ‘lost’ rights of way ‘costly and inappropriate’ says CLA

Landowners in Somerset have condemned laws which have enabled a local access group to attempt to resurrect lost or defunct rights of way at a potential cost to the taxpayer of more than £1million.

The South Somerset Bridleways Association has applied to Somerset County Council to have around 200 rights of way reinstated on to the Definitive Maps – bridleways the Association says were mistakenly missed off the map.

But the CLA says that the whole costly and time-consuming exercise underlines an essential flaw in the system which it has been campaigning to change for years.

Of the 240 applications submitted to Somerset County Council’s Rights of Way Department, more than four-fifths were submitted by the SSBA. The CLA says it misses the point of how to bring about improvements and positive gains to the rights of way system.

“The cost of processing each application can be as much as £7,000 – excluding the cost of physically reinstating the bridleway - and with the number of applications already in the pipeline, it will take the county council until 2036 to process them – 10 years beyond the date when the Definitive Map is due to be closed. And we believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The issues that have come to light in Somerset are being replicated throughout the country with a potential cost to the public purse many millions of pounds,” said CLA South West spokesman Paul Millard.

He said a costly and ill-fated effort to put disused rights of way back on the definitive map, initiated by Natural England under the Discovering Lost Ways project, had been abandoned four years ago – but the door had been left open for user groups to attempt to reinstate rights of way which they claim were not lost, simply not properly recorded.

Mr Millard said: “It is difficult to believe this is really what the public wants to see its money spent on. If we really want to make our rights of way fit for 21st Century rather than 19th Century demand then we need to move away from the premise of increasing the amount of access at whatever cost. We need to look at improving what is already there.

“There appear to have been mistakes in the applications by the South Somerset Bridleways Association which had also failed to make sufficient effort to contact the owners of the land affected.

“My understanding is that if the SSBA wishes to pursue these applications it will have to re-submit them – but we would urge the Association to think long and hard about the financial and practical consequences of their action before doing so. Surely they – and all the other access groups – would be better served working with landowners to achieve a system of voluntary or permissive access routes by mutual agreement.”

Any landowner concerned or affected by the proposals should, he said, contact the CLA Regional Office on 01249 700 200 for advice.


For further information on the CLA go to www.cla.org.uk

Thursday, January 5, 2012

New Network Offers SW Hotline to Government

Landowners and rural business leaders in the South West have given a: “thumbs up” to news that the new Rural and Farming Networks will be getting a hotline to the heart of Government.
Country Land and Business Association South West Director, John Mortimer, says that the announcement by Agriculture Minister, Jim Paice, will revitalise direct lines of communication by establishing a new conduit to government.
“This decision will give us direct route to the Minister and his advisers and will help us to have a direct influence on future rural policies - and that has to be welcome news indeed,” said Mr Mortimer.
However, he said he was concerned that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were to be cut off from the neighbouring counties of the South West and left to fight their own corner.
“One of the most critical problems that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly face is their isolation and long communication lines up country. Of course, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have specific, local, issues too and the creation of a separate R&F group will, hopefully, ensure that these issues obtain high prominence with Government.
“Our concern is that we don’t want to see divisions within the South West and we are anxious to re-establish the effective lines of communication we have previously enjoyed. Our hope is that the two Rural and Farming networks covering the whole of the South West will be able to work effectively together and the CLA will do its utmost to facilitate this.”
The fourteen new networks are designed to bring together people from rural communities, rural businesses and the food and farming industries and help the Government to create new opportunities with better and more targeted policy
Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, the Minister also promised that Defra would become the ‘listening department’ that would understand and promote the interests of rural communities and businesses, based on direct contact with the people whose livelihoods they were championing.
His comments came on the same day as the Secretary of State, Caroline Spelman, admitted that an urban-rural divide existed and that, in many instances rural communities and rural businesses had been left to their own devices to try to find solutions to the problems they faced - such as adequate broadband connections.
“It is encouraging that the Minister has finally acknowledged the depth of inequality between urban and rural areas. Much needs to be done to ensure fairness for rural communities and businesses and we are optimistic about what the Rural and Farming Networks might achieve,” said Mr. Mortimer.

Business and Individuals Need to Step Up to the Challenge of 2012

2012 will see major changes to the planning process which will require individuals and organisations representing the land based sector and wider rural business to step up to the mark and ensure that their voice is clearly heard.

That’s the message this week from the chairman of the Dorset branch of the CLA, James Selby Bennett, who says that Dorset will start the year with a new LEP which has a substantial rural enterprise element in it and which he hopes will provide a much-needed mechanism for cross fertilisation of ideas and of concerns between the public sector and the private sector.

“We are fortunate to already have had a good response from within the CLA to supporting the LEP and putting forward the arguments which have ensured that our LEP has a vibrant and recognised rural element.

“But we will need to be prepared to get engaged at every level with our local authorities and with the government agencies that are so important to our affairs. Our association will lead the way and will be available to help and advise us - but at the end of the day a lot is going to depend upon us individual landowners and rural businessmen being prepared to engage in dialogue, in order to protect and enhance our rural enterprises.”

Mr Selby Bennett said that the inescapable event of 2012, The Olympic Games, should provide a genuine legacy for Dorset - particularly in terms of broadband and mobile phone coverage.

Even though the event will be confined to the south coast, Mr Selby Bennett said the whole of Dorset was likely to be affected by the Olympic Game. There would, he said, inevitably, be:” a fair bit of disruption with road and rail systems already beginning to creak” but he was equally confident this would be offset by increased demand for goods and services throughout the county.

“I hope that the Olympics will give our local economy a much needed boost and I believe, not least due to hard work and lobbying by the CLA, there will be some substantial Olympic legacy,” he said.

CLA has a key role to play in 2012

2012 will be a year when organisations representing rural interests will have to work together to ensure that the needs of the countryside weigh equally with urban issues in the Heart of the SW Local Enterprise Partnership – and the CLA has a crucial role to play in making that happen.

That was the message this week from the chairman of the Devon branch of the CLA, Laura Leigh, who said that the year ahead would also bring fresh challenges for Devon in the formation of grassroots opinion on CAP reform, planning, taxation, food and farm security, and broadband provision.

“The roll out of the new superfast broadband network will also present the challenge of ensuring that adequate coverage is provided to all rural as well as all urban areas. Looking ahead it is clear that bovine TB and reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy are coming to a head and 2012 looks like defining years for both.

“The CLA Devon committee works hard to represent the interests of our members via the region, through our national team and on to Government – but our ability to do so relies heavily upon our own local knowledge and the feedback we get from our members at a county level.

“In these difficult economic times, belonging to the CLA is still incredibly good value. Access to our advisors or a conversation with one of our experts may well provide information that could cost an arm or a leg elsewhere – so I advise everybody involved in rural business or the land based sector to make membership of the CLA a priority in the coming year,” she said.

Cornwall CLA Chairman says 2012 offers a Year of Opportunity

2011, was a year of reality, cuts and confusion. Talk of double dip recessions, the end of the Euro, the first anniversary of a coalition government; all of which have set the backdrop for the undoubted challenges of the year ahead – but there will be new opportunities as well.

That was the message from the chairman of the Cornwall branch of the CLA, Andrew Williams, who said that, in Cornwall, there had been some notable successes during 2011 – such as broadband, the Local Enterprise Partnership and renewable energy – and he said that although there might be hurdles to overcome, 2012 was full of potential.

Mr Williams said that the ability for Cornwall to be a national leader in the roll out of the new superfast broadband network also presented the challenge of ensuring that adequate coverage is provided to all rural as well as all urban areas.
“We shall continue to pester the BT delivery team to ensure that rural “not spots” are given as high a priority as urban centres, “he said.
Cornwall also led the way with the formation of its Local Enterprise Partnership and Mr Williams said he was working closely with the NFU, the Cornwall Agri-Food Council and Chris Pomfret, chairman of the Cornwall LEP, to identify how the land-based sector could be most effective in representing and influencing rural economic issues in Cornwall.

“Although the Government has moved the goalposts on some aspects of the renewable sector, the overriding opportunities for us here in Cornwall still look positive and we should embrace them - not only to realise the potentials, but also to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Hopefully, we can see the marine, tidal and wave sectors developing positively here as well.”

As 2011 drew to a close he said bovine TB and reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy were both coming to a head.

“The national and European teams within the CLA are working hard to deliver the right solutions and 2012 looks like a defining year for both. As to their outcomes, we have traditionally, in Cornwall, thrived on the ability to tackle the obstacles and hurdles placed in our way with innovative and imaginative solutions,” he said.

Ends

For further information on this Press Release please contact CLA South West PR and Communications Manager, Paul Millard on 01380 830179 or 07831 674345.

For further information on the CLA go to www.cla.org.uk