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29/06/04 - Cumbria's rural thinking goes national

Next week representatives from Cumbria County Council will explain the council's innovative support for rural communities to local government officials from across the country. The Council will present its "Thinking Rural" guide to the annual conference of the Local Government Association in Bournemouth on the 7th, 8th and 9th of July.    

Cumbria County Council is recognised as a national leader when it comes to rural matters. The Local Government Association scoured the country for examples of excellence in councils tackling rural issues. Cumbria was highlighted as one of the top performing authorities in this field.    

Deputy Leader of the Council Mike Ash explains:   

"The County Council responded to the downturn in the local economy by being instrumental in setting up the Rural and Urban regeneration companies. 

But this is not enough. The delivery of services to the remote, sparse and diverse areas in Cumbria required a rethink of the way that the Council - and indeed our partners - deliver services.The County Council has started a process of changing what we do to meet the needs of individuals. It is no longer good enough to have a one-size-fits-all attitude to the delivery of services. Rural proofing is already identifying ways to adapt services to meet the needs of rural communities. Cumbria County Council leads the field and the people of Cumbria will receive better services as a result."   

In a recent statement the Deputy Prime Minister praised the council: "Cumbria County Council is to be congratulated in taking the initiative to embed rural proofing in its mainstream policy and service delivery - the first local authority in the region to do so, I believe - to the benefit of rural communities throughout Cumbria."   

The Council has made massive strides to regenerate the rural economy of Cumbria in the wake of the Foot and Mouth crisis. Initiatives like Rural First Aid and creating the country's first rural regeneration company have proved extremely successful. That work is supplemented by the Council "rural proofing" all its policy and operational decisions.    

Under the banner "Ruralmatters" the council have just published a "Thinking Rural" guide. The guide gives an essential insight into how councillors and officers can ‘think rural’. It contains some excellent case studies that show the success and ideas here in Cumbria. It also provides practical examples that everyone can learn from. 

The guide is part of a comprehensive programme of action to strengthen recovery that includes:   

  •  "rural proofing" the council's policies and plans 
  •  establishing and closely with Rural Regeneration Cumbria and other key partners to provide direct support to communities and businesses 
  •  hosting a number of conferences to identify, highlight and address rural issues celebrate rural Cumbria   
  •  creating, with the University of Lancashire an International Centre of The Uplands