Rural Regeneration

Rural Economic Strategy

A rural economic strategy has been produced by the District Council to address the economic regeneration of the District’s significant rural areas. The Strategy, in line with both the West Midlands and Worcestershire Economic Strategies, is centred around the key themes of Place, Business, People, and Powerful voice.

View the Wyre Forest Rural Economic Strategy  (792K)

The Vision

By 2014:-

Wyre Forest District’s rural areas have enhanced, sustainable, safeguarded, promoted and diverse, historic, built and natural environments with centres that have accessible and affordable housing, services and transport provision.

The rural areas have a stable economic base with sustainable new and traditional employment opportunities in an environment that supports new business formation and diversification.

The rural population has access to and choice of quality learning and skills provision.

Rural communities are resourced, engaged and participative and make positive contributions to local community capacity and democracy. Information is fully communicated and accessible.

The Aims

The aims of the strategy are as follows:

PLACE, To:

• Assess the role and impact of climate change on the rural economy and support a secure, low carbon energy infrastructure;
• Promote positive and healthy uses of the high quality outdoor areas making people feel welcome and secure;
• Support, subject to relevant permissions, the innovative use and management of land in response to challenges, needs and aspirations;
• Maintain, conserve and enhance the natural and historic environmental qualities which contribute to the overall character and quality of rural landscapes including their landscape character, biodiversity and locally distinctiveness; and
• Ensure fair and equitable access to rural services with implementation of new technology and innovations as appropriate.

BUSINESS, To:

• Understand the traditional “land based” employment sectors and how they contribute to the environment and economy;• Develop a sustainable and competitive economic base with sustainable and traditional employment opportunities that responds to, supports and maintains the needs and growth of rural businesses and provides well paid and highly skilled jobs; and
• Encourage and support new business formation, innovation, diversification and entrepreneurship.

PEOPLE, To:

• Provide rural communities and people of all ages with a choice of quality learning, training, skills and activity provision that are fully accessible.

POWERFUL VOICE, To:

• Promote the natural and built environment;
• Engage with communities to make positive contributions to local rural community capacity and democracy:
• Access appropriate external resources.
• Understand rural population profile and trends.

Rural Enterprise Grant

The Rural Enterprise Grant (REG) can fund small scale diversification and business development projects for the benefit of rural businesses. The Rural Enterprise Grant is funded under Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and is available to farmers and specific rural micro-businesses in the West Midlands region. The regional RDPE programme is managed by Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Development Agency for the West Midlands Region; The Rural Enterprise Grant (REG) will be administered by Herefordshire Council.

Who Can Apply?

Funding is targeted at:

• farm businesses;
• members of farming households; and
• Micro-Enterprises: new or existing businesses of less than 10 employees whose turnover is equivalent to less than €2m [located in eligible rural areas/whose core and planned activities are based on food and drink, Environmental Technologies or Tourism].

For more information view the the Rural Enterprise Grant booklet.  (77K)