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Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER Rural Communities Event. Stirling Council Chambers 12 July 2014. Introduction Progress since March 2014 Community Event What will LEADER money be spent on? (Local Development Strategy)
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Forth Valley & LomondLEADERRural Communities Event Stirling Council Chambers 12 July 2014
Introduction • Progress since March 2014 Community Event • What will LEADER money be spent on? (Local Development Strategy) • How will LEADER money be spent?(Business Plan) - Approaches to allocating funds- LAG membership- Co-operation projects • Next Steps
What is LEADER? • It’s a method of delivering rural development • It’s called Community Led Local Development • It’s about ‘animation’ of a ‘territory’ for an agreed purpose • It develops the rural economy • It covers the economic, the community and the environmental • It’s 5% of the Scottish Rural Development Programme • So, EU+Scottish Government money
LEADER In Our Area? • We have had 3 LEADER Programmes in this area • Boundaries have changed and coverage has gradually increased • Last programme closed end Dec 2013 • We fully allocated our £3.7 million • To 131 very varied community projects • They all met the objectives of our Local Development Strategy
New Programme • Will run from 2015 – 2020 • Will have slightly different boundaries • Will ‘probably’ have a smaller core budget • Will have additional funds for Rural Businesses • Greater emphasis on Economic Benefit • Will need to be ‘governed’ by a tighter Rural Development Strategy and not viewed as a community grants scheme
Local Development Strategy for 2015-2020 • Our bid for European/Scottish Government money. Draft submitted, general feedback received • Gives us focus for WHAT the money will be spent on • It includes: • Information about area • SWOT • Links with national and local strategies • Strategic objectives and expected impact of LEADER funds • Co-operation with other areas • Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park wide projects • Joint Projects with Kelvin + Falkirk • Joint projects with other parts of the EU?
* Additions to SWOT from March 2014 Community Event 2014 * Additions to Strategic Objectives from March 2014 Community Event (approved by Stakeholder Group)
Strengthen our Rural Economy • Build More Sustainable Communities • Build Community Resilience • Increase the Understanding of, and Access to, our Natural and Cultural Heritage Environment • Realise the Economic Potential of our Strategic Landscape Assets
Approaches to Funding Allocations • Spatial Targeting/Joining up of Projects • Themed Grant Schemes (eg Sustainable Tourism) • LAG Commissioned Projects • As they emerge? • Decided in advance? • Challenge Fund (ie open to everyone)
New LAG Membership • A minimum of 51% of membership must be community or non-agency • Recruitment must be open and transparent • Recruitment should be based on skills required and areas covered • Numbers will need to be manageable (ie able to fit in a meeting room!) • Quorum on decisions needs to reflect 51% rule
Recruitment of New LAG Members • Application Process • Recruitment Advertised • Geographic Spread • Skills Matrix • Application Process Open from mid August • Big time commitment (exp. meeting 4 times a year + subgroup meetings + reading applications + scoring)
“Co-operation” • Funds for Preparatory Costs & for Project Delivery (1% and 10% minimum of total FVL budget respectively) • ‘inter-regional’ – mostly with neighbouring LAGs e.g. National Park; Inner Forth • ‘transnational’ – with UK and EU • New process being discussed where applicant submits claim to ONE body • Ideas: ANY CURRENT IDEAS FOR CO-OPERATION PROJECTS IN SCOTLAND OR EU?
Next steps… • First draft of Business Plan to be submitted 15 August 2014 • Final draft of both documents by 30 September 2014 • Area budget allocations December 2014 • LEADER Programme starts 1 January 2015 • First applications considered – March 2015?? • Stakeholder group overseeing process