£2m boost for rural projects

12:10pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

AN injection of almost £2m of Government and European Union money will help countryside businesses and other rural projects - and create more jobs - in southern Oxfordshire.

South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse district councils will distribute the money through a Local Action Group, which includes farmers and forestry people in a private and public partnership led by a project leader yet to be appointed.

Rodney Mann, South Oxfordshire District Council executive member for economic development said: "This is excellent news for southern Oxfordshire. It will provide much needed support for our rural communities to help them become thriving and sustainable."

The National Farmers' Union's senior policy adviser in south-east England, Sandra Nichols, said: "We welcome this money coming to the rural community and we want farmers to use it to diversify - after all, a percentage of the grant comes from the farmers themselves from a deduction by Brussels from their single payment scheme, which pays them to look after the environment."

The action group priorities will be: Encouraging enterprise and business Improving tourism Dealing with poverty Developing skills.

The funding of £1.89m will back a wide range of projects and training for farmers, growers, foresters, food businesses and rural communities.

Early suggestions for shares of the money are a food festival, conservation-themed holiday breaks, and rural skills training. Winning projects will receive grants of up to £50,000.

Mr Mann said: "This will improve the competitiveness of local businesses and provide more jobs. This is a great opportunity and I urge local businesses to come forward and register an interest if they have ideas that could benefit from the funding."

Mary de Vere, the Vale council's executive member for planning and community strategy, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to support innovation which can put our rural communities on the map. We already have some thriving businesses which provide jobs and services for the rural community and this money will expand that success."