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August 2006
The Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan took to the road in August to promote the LRRAP and the projects it supports. The LRRAP and Lancashire Rural Futures joined presenter Sally Naden on the BBC Radio Lancashire bus in Mawdesley, West Lancashire, to offer advice about rural funding to the local community. The bus was located at Cedar Farm Galleries near Ormkskirk and provided the opportunity to meet people from the area as well as visitors from further afield.
Kath Ashton provided general advice on funding and details of projects covering tourism, business and community development. Gemma Grant and Vicky Bradley from Lancashire Rural Futures, which manages the Rural Business Facilitation Service on behalf of the LRRAP, were on board to offer advice to rural businesses and guidance on accessing a range of economic and environmental grants.
A former farm, Cedar Farm Galleries is now a popular venue offering various shops, art exhibitions, small animal farm, playground, beauty salon and café. "It was a good opportunity to work with local radio and get the message across about the aims of the LRRAP and the work of its projects. Cedar Farm Galleries is a lovely location and an excellent example of diversification from traditional farming to creating additional income through tourism. The farm also hosts a monthly Farmers Market which is supported by the LRRAP through its Lancashire Rural Tourism initiative project," says Kath Ashton of the LRRAP. The LRRAP is a five year funding programme supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency to aid the regeneration and sustainable development of the rural economy across Lancashire.
Cuerden Valley Park, an historic country park following the River Lostock between Preston and Chorley, marked the completion of its extensive restoration programme in June with a Celebration Event and Green Fayre. Over the years many features of the old Victorian estate have been fragmented or even disappeared. The ambitious 3 year project, which received £99,000 of funding from the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan supported by the NWDA, involved the restoration of many of the Victorian Estate features using original maps and information from the 1883 Gardener’s Chronicle.
Major works have been carried out on restoring the original footpath network within the Pinetum and American Garden. Conifers from the 1883 Species List, as well as magnolias, fern banks and rhododendrons have been planted to reflect the Victorians’ enthusiasm for exotic conifers. Other improvements to the footpaths have seen the restoration of an old sunken pathway along the edge of the Ice House Wood, leading to the river. The walled orchard has been restored to include apple and pear trees of traditional species and the nearby pond has been cleared. Further work included desilting of the lake and recreating the original view from Cuerden Hall to the lake and across the valley.
As well as the restoration of the historic landscape, the £900,000 project also included the enhancement of the tourist and recreational facilities available, providing an improved tourism and educational resource for school visits and lifelong learning. New Deal for the unemployed was a key part of the delivery providing training opportunities and new jobs.
"We are pleased to have been able to support the restoration of this historic landscape. The project also created jobs through New Deal for the long term unemployed and the restored park is helping to increase visitor numbers and create stronger links with schools from across Lancashire through educational activities," says Stephen Brown, LRRAP programme manager.
The Mayor of Chorley, Mary Wilson, officially opened the Walled Orchard to celebrate the completion of the project on the 16th June 2006.
18th July 2006
A new project funded by the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan will help put rural art and craft on the map and equip craftspeople with the skills and know-how to run more successful businesses.
Made in Lancashire Art & Craft, which started in July, will support self-employed craftspeople and small art and craft businesses to become more competitive and sustainable through developing supply chains and routes to market; improving the capacity of the businesses; and linking with a sector specific web portal.
The project is being managed by Myerscough College who also run the LRRAP-funded "Development and Promotion of Lancashire Food" project which maintains the Made in Lancashire brand. The new scheme aims to extend the name to raise the profile of quality and authentic rural art and craft across the county under the Made in Lancashire brand.
"Small enterprises make a significant contribution to the local economy. However, many such micro-concerns don't have the necessary time or skills to grow their businesses at the same time as focussing on the product. Our project will support them to manage their enterprises more efficiently; to develop their supply chains and markets; and to network with like-minded people. The funding from the LRRAP will be used both to encourage the start up of new craft enterprises and to support established businesses and practitioners," says Fiona Haile, project manager.
For further details of the support available, contact Fiona Haile on 01995 642255.
Note to editors: The Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan is a five year funding programme supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency to aid the regeneration and sustainable development of the rural economy across Lancashire.
6th July 2006
There’s more than meets the eye at the family farm in Mardale near Lancaster. Amongst the normal farm machinery is a thriving precision engineering company which has an even brighter future after receiving funding from the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan.
A E Huddleston Limited based in Quernmore had outgrown its existing building and needed to expand. Thanks to a £10,186 grant from the LRRAP’s Rural Small Buildings Scheme the owner, John Huddleston, has been able to convert an additional building to double the work space. Mardale is now home to three businesses and the expansion has enabled the creation of eight jobs. The project was also completed in precision time, in only five weeks.
County Councillor Susie Charles said: "The LRRAP is helping to make a real difference in rural communities. The new workshop space at Mardale houses three growing businesses and will be instrumental in creating prosperity and jobs in the local area. It is good to see young people in the rural area being so successful."
The scheme has also helped Hire Heat Installations in Barnacre, Garstang build new premises and create six new jobs, while a £52,743 grant enabled Countrywide and Global Ltd to convert a redundant dairy building at Magnolls Farm near Oswaldtwistle into a new mail order distribution centre with associated storage and offices. The 1,200 square metres centre will provide employment for ten people within the next three years.
The Rural Small Buildings Scheme received £250,000 of funding from the LRRAP supported by the NWDA and is being managed through Lancashire County Developments Ltd, the economic development company of Lancashire County Council and delivered together with Lancashire Rural Futures. It is anticipated that nearly 70 new jobs will be created through the nine development projects it has supported. Although now closed to applications, £1 million for development is available to rural businesses through the recently launched LRRAP-supported Rural Recovery Grant Fund. Contact LCDL at rural@lcdl.co.uk for details.
6th July 2006
Four projects in the Ribble Valley are creating jobs and expanding their businesses after receiving funding from the Rural Small Buildings Scheme.
The scheme, which ran until March 31st, received £250,000 of funding from the LRRAP supported by the NWDA, and its aim is to stimulate job creation and businesses growth through new build or refurbishment of premises.
A £40,000 grant enabled Polygon Financial Limited to convert a former public house in Clitheroe into 8 small retail/office lets. The redundant Royal Mail sorting office in the town has also been transformed into a Wine Bar and Café thanks to £43,000 funding. Philip and Louise Edge have utilised £55,000 from the scheme to convert former farm buildings in Clayton-Le-Dale to provide a series of small lets for light industrial use. Meanwhile TV soap fans may now not recognise Middlesteading Barn in Downham as the setting for Jean's Yard in the series Born and Bred. It has been turned into work space for bespoke furniture maker Paul Case with the help of a £2,900 grant.
"We are pleased to have been able to support business growth through this scheme and help to increase the range and quality of jobs across rural Lancashire," says Stephen Brown, LRRAP programme manager.
These four projects alone are expected to create 46.5 jobs in the Ribble Valley area. Projects across the county received help from the scheme which is being managed through Lancashire County Developments Ltd, the economic development company of Lancashire County Council and delivered together with Lancashire Rural Futures. Although this scheme is now closed to applications, £1 million for development is available to rural businesses through the LRRAP supported Rural Recovery Grant Fund. Contact LCDL at rural@lcdl.co.uk for details.
23rd March 2006
The Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan is helping the RSPB to create one of the largest areas of semi-natural habitat on the UK coastline in the heart of Lancashire. The programme has approved £498,000 of funding for an exciting new restoration project to enhance the Ribble Estuary Regional Park by creating a 30 square kilometres haven on the Ribble Estuary, the UK’s most important estuary for birds.
As well as being a significant enhancement to the natural environment in Lancashire and the North West, it is intended that the area will become an important new attraction to draw in more visitors to the region and rival the popularity of the Norfolk coast as a visitor destination for wildlife.
The Ribble Estuary supports internationally important populations of wintering and breeding birds, but lacks the physical infrastructure and interpretive information to enable the public to enjoy the area, and to ensure that the local economy benefits from its environmental assets.
The new project, which runs until March 2008, aims to develop the core land resource for the Ribble Estuary Regional Park through the acquisition of a large area of previously reclaimed estuary and its restoration to semi-natural habitat under conservation management. The project will also link to other existing or planned initiatives such as the Tarleton and Hesketh Bank Linear Park and to other visitor attractions in the area such as Lytham Hall and Martin Mere. Development of joint marketing with local authorities and other partner organisations is an important part of the project to maximise the potential of the whole area for business and tourism growth.
For further information, contact Joanne Gilkes at the RSPB on tel 01484 861148 or Joanne.Gilkes@rspb.org.uk.
23rd March 2006
Budding young entrepreneurs in rural areas will be given a welcome helping hand by the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan following the launch in March of the Action For Rural Development Project. The countywide scheme, to be managed by The Prince’s Trust, will target unemployed people aged 18-30 who have difficulty accessing business support and funding and aims to assist them primarily through The Prince’s Trust "Business Start Up" programme. A Rural Business Adviser will work closely with other business support organisations, education and training providers locally, to promote and provide required services. A trained business mentor will also be available for each new venture to offer support and practical business advice. As well as helping create a potential thirty new businesses, the project will also offer those young people facing disadvantages and social exclusion in rural areas a stake in their local community and a sense of involvement and active citizenship.
For further details contact Paul Kirkman at paul.kirkman@princes-trust.org.uk or ring Paul at the Prince’s Trust Lancashire Office on 01254 269560.
23rd March 2006
Horse-riding and mountain-biking could hold the key to regenerating the rural economy of the West Pennine Moors. One of the latest projects to receive funding from the Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan aims to stimulate the local economy by creating an off-road bridleway route to better service these activities. Funding of £90,000 from the LRRAP and a further £40,000 from the East Lancashire Regional Park programme has been agreed to help the £730,000 project create a West Pennine Moors Bridleway Loop. The Loop comprising 75km of new or improved bridleway will act as a feeder route to the Pennine Bridleway National Trial and provide much needed infrastructure to strengthen the tourism offer and encourage more visitors to the area.
"Horse-riding and mountain-biking are growing in popularity and both national and our own research has identified the potential for long-term prosperity for the whole area through providing Bridleway routes. We are aiming to establish the West Pennine Moors as a key destination for horse-riders and cyclists within the region. The Loop, which is due for completion in March 2008, will enable us to develop a highly marketable tourism product as well as providing more sustainable access to the countryside," says project manager Elliott Lorimer from Lancashire County Council who will be managing the initiative.
Existing businesses and new business ventures such as accommodation providers, pubs/restaurants, livery/stabling or bike hire ventures will be encouraged to take advantage of the improved tourism offer. The project is confident it can reproduce the success of the Mary Towneley Loop, to the east of the West Pennines, part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail. More than twenty new businesses including new accommodation provision were established as a result of this off-road bridleway route.
For further details contact Elliott Lorimer at elliott.lorimer@env.lancscc.gov.uk.
March 2006
Rural businesses across Lancashire are set to receive a major boost with the launch of a new development grant. The Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan, supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, has approved £1 million for a Rural Development Grant fund managed by Lancashire County Developments Limited, the economic development company of Lancashire County Council. The scheme has been designed as a straightforward and accessible capital and revenue grant fund for rural businesses not eligible for existing grant schemes and to complement other oversubscribed funds. Grants can typically be made available up to a maximum of 50% of total project costs for a wide range of activities countywide. Contact the Rural Development Team at LCDL on rural@lcdl.co.uk for details.
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