Revitalising A summary of the LEADER+ Programme for the East the Riding Riding of 2002-2008 1 As someone “involved in heritage projects over many years, I am proud that the partnership approach adopted by the Local Action

Group has delivered

greater structure and strategic direction“ to heritage projects in the area.

Local Action Group member

1. Lord Haskins opens the Market Introduction Weighton Local Producers Market

The rural is an assets. In addition, there has been an historic area of great contrast. Geographically, weakness in the capacity of local community Funding East Riding the mix of wolds and coast makes it a and business sectors, that if stronger could LEADER+ Programme place of striking natural beauty, while its address these challenges as well as market towns and historic churches are capitalise on opportunities within the area. EAGGF £1,494,945.60 a window to the area’s rich cultural DEFRA £ 734,076.17 In 2002 ‘Revitalising the Riding’, the East heritage. Yet, like many areas of rural Other Public £2,036,620.03 Riding of Yorkshire LEADER+ Programme , the East Riding of Yorkshire Private £ 602,184.95 took on responsibility of addressing these faces a number of important challenges challenges. Led by the East Riding of Total £4,867,826.75 that threaten the social, economic and Yorkshire Local Action Group (LAG), in environmental prosperity of its local partnership with the East Riding of Yorkshire communities. Council the 6 year, £4.9 million Programme Specific challenges have included the was designed to assist rural communities higher than average reliance on agriculture, improve the quality of life and economic a sector in significant decline; a traditionally prosperity of their local area. large tourism sector; significant pockets of This document tells the story of what has social deprivation; and a number of been achieved over the past 6 years to untapped environmental and cultural ‘Revitalise the Riding’. 2. Rural Programme Team staff at the 4. LEADER+ and Rural Partnership collaboration event. Enterprise Village at the Show. 5. Official opening of the seafront enhancements 3. Staff and volunteers at the launch of 6. Unveiling of the Whale sculptures as part of the Country Programme the Spurn Heritage Bus audio tour. Performance Houses sculpture trail

At the outset the LAG took the innovative To deliver against these objectives the LAG These projects were designed specifically to 4 5 step to strategically align the Programme’s commissioned a total of 45 projects varying address the identified weaknesses in capacity objectives and activities to the strategic in public spend and delivery method. and encourage the development of priorities of the sub-region. Given this community-led project activity. Other The theme, ‘Making the Best Use of Natural approach the objectives for ‘Revitalising the LEADER+ projects to emerge included local and Cultural Resources’, yielded 25 projects. Riding’ needed to be both focused on the producer markets, local communication A number of these focused on the needs of the local area whilst at the same strategies, cycle tourism, baseline visitor improvement of the natural environment time deliver against the requirements of the studies, parish plan clustering, the and included Sustainable Woodlands, RSPB LEADER+ Programme and the priorities of Enterprise Village at the Driffield Show, (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) the sub-region. The strategy for the Country House Estates, artists networks, Volunteer and Farmer Alliance, Wetland Programme was based on the themes festivals and events. Some of this activity Mammals and their Habitats, the Spurn 'Improving the Quality of Life in Rural was delivered through delegated Heritage Bus and the Rural Beaches Project. Areas' and 'Making the Best Use of Natural grants schemes. and Cultural Resources’. The LAG’s There was also a significant amount of 6 The transnational element of the LEADER+ objectives were: activity directed at developing and Programme was a project between marketing the built heritage in the rural 1. To build capacity and empower rural Tipperary, North Northumberland AONB East Riding. Projects that were supported communities and encourage collaborative and the East Riding LAG looking at included the development of a Wolds working between communities so that roadscapes. In addition, a co-operation Heritage Centre from a redundant church, they can exchange best practice and project between the three Yorkshire LAGs restoration and feasibility work on the jointly tackle issues; was supported. and Driffield Navigations, the 2. To support and develop new local Hornsea Transpennine Trail and the Furthermore the empowerment and access enterprises, drawing on the potential renovation of Major Stewart’s Museum at to services agendas also produced a range of the natural and cultural heritage, Burnby Hall Gardens. Resources were also of LEADER+ project activity that proved to to create employment for local people; provided for capacity building and networks be invaluable for the trial material used in for the heritage, tourism and food sectors. the Rural Pathfinder Programme. 3. To increase the use of vital rural services Programme performance is measured in a regeneration activity has helped to create The LEADER+ Programme has not solved and enhance their viability; Under the ‘Quality of Life’ theme the LAG Sustainability of activities was always a number of ways. First there is analysis of strong links between the LAG, sub-regional all the challenges faced by the area but it key criterion for the LAG. The LAG took the 4. To enhance and conserve the natural commissioned three infrastructure projects: whether the LAG efficiently and effectively partnerships and the local authority, further has taken significant and important steps innovative step to ensure that all projects channelled its allocated funds. This has strengthening the integrated nature of the towards addressing them. Programmes are and built heritage so that it meets the 1. Community Involvement and Capacity were hooked into appropriate support certainly been the case with regard to the Programme. It is this innovative, strategy-led being developed (e.g. RDPE and Interreg) economic, social and environmental Building - baseline data and support for networks to enable ongoing delivery where East Riding of Yorkshire LEADER+ partnership approach that has enabled the to build on this momentum with a vision to needs of today and the future; and heritage voluntary and community appropriate. Testament to this approach are Programme with spending in line with total LEADER+ Programme to significantly extend ultimately deliver economic, social and groups; 5. To support and underpin the the numerous examples of mainstreaming budget and consistent with the rationale its reach and impact. environmental prosperity to the East strengthening of market towns as a 2. Market Towns Network - support and including the COMBINE officer, the market and objectives of the Programme. Riding’s rural communities. Through this approach the LEADER+ nucleus for rural restructuring. resource for developing and building towns network, the local food development The LAG was also extremely successful in Programme has been able to stimulate capacity; and and the INTO MiTown project activity. levering funds from other sources. For every high levels of volunteer involvement and 3. COMBINE - support for the rural business £1 of LEADER+ money spent, the LAG community action, helping to generate a and enterprise networks and capacity for sourced a further £1.18 from other public sense of local identity and co-operation. rural businesses. and private funding streams1. It has highlighted the valuable role market towns play in the community and The second measure of performance is the stimulated co-operation between them. relative achievement of output and result In particular, this supportive funding targets. The LAG was extremely ambitious If it hadn’t been for activity has made significant steps towards in the number of targets it set and the level unlocking the economic potential of the of achievement for each target. On the LEADER+ I wouldn’t area’s natural and cultural heritage. whole, the LEADER+ Programme has been “ very successful. Of the 60 original output As a direct result of the LEADER+ have had the

2 3 LEADER+ helped and result indicators set for the LEADER+ Programme there is now widespread Programme, 85% were achieved or public sector recognition to support the opportunity to be part

to sustain community exceeded. East Riding’s rural communities and an

infrastructure in place and a momentum of the Enterprise The final and most important performance “and private transport by “ from which to build from. measure is whether the LEADER+ Village at the Driffield funding the development Programme has made the level of impact it So what about the future? The LEADER+ “ originally set out to do. In other words, did Programme can point to an excellent track Show, which helped of a usable demand-led it meet its objectives? record of aligning its activity to support mainstream priorities as well as the priorities local transport service. The evidence said yes it did. promote my business of other regeneration funding streams. The LEADER+ Programme has demonstrated Project beneficiary The LAG can also demonstrate an ability to the public. a successful way of working to deliver to add significant value to local activity, integrated activity aligned to both the through the strategic use of public money Nicky Clacy, Papier Mache Sculpter priorities of LEADER+ and the rural strategy placed efficiently and effectively with for the East Riding. This ‘bottom-up meets local projects. top-down’ approach has meant that

1 Cash and in-kind activity. 7. Volunteers from the Wetland Mammals and their Habitats Project Activity project netting the pond at Fitling Hall Farm.

Improving the Quality of Life in Rural Areas Making the Best Use of Natural and Transnational and Co-operation within - Community Involvement and Capacity Cultural Resources the UK Building - Hedon Navigation - Feasibility study - Yorkshire LAG Celebration - Market Towns Network - Hidden - Interpretation - East Riding Country Mile - COMBINE - National Byway Heritage Cycle Route - INTO Driffield - The Hornsea Experience - Wheels to Work - Enhancing Hornsea Visitor Facilities - Seaside Radio - Enterprise Village - Driffield Show - Local Producers Market - Sustainable Woodland - Yorwoods - Market Weighton Community Strategy - National Byway Heritage Cycle - Baseline Visitor Studies Seminars - Phase 2 - INTO MiTown - Flamborough Waymarkers and - Small Initiatives Fund Walks Leaflets - Hidden Treasures - Spurn Heritage Bus - Audio Tour - Parish Plans Clustering - St James Warter - Feasibility The Wheels to Work - Enterprise Village Phase 2 - Volunteer and Farmers Alliance Plus - Trans Pennine Trail Hornsea Gateway - Rural Beaches Initiative scheme enabled me to

- Community Empowerment Pathfinder Trial - Local Food Mapping

- Yorkshire Country House Estates - Capacity Building for Church Tourism “take a job I was incredibly - Mainstreaming Rural Activities - East Yorkshire Historic Churches Tourism Initiative interested in. Without it I 7 - Wetland Mammals and their Habitats “ - East Yorkshire Wolds Tourism Partnership would have needed to and Feasibility Study travel for 2 ½ hours each - - Canal Restoration and Interpretation way on 3 buses. - Yorkshire Wolds Heritage Centre, St James Warter Megan Browne - North Holderness Heritage - A Sculpture Trail - Revitalising Major Stewart's Museum - Driffield Navigation - Phase 2 - Rural Heritage Development Plan

Rural Programmes Office, 11B Regent House, Regent Street, , East Riding of Yorkshire, YO42 2QN Tel: +44 (0)1759 306624 [email protected] www.ruralprogrammeseastyorkshire.co.uk EAGGF