Gildernew invests over £18m in North West

Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA today launched an £18.4million Rural Development Programme for the North West under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013.

The funding will be delivered through a partnership between the newly formed North West Local Action Group and the North West Cluster which combines Strabane District Council, Omagh District Council, Derry City Council and Limavady Borough Council. The RDP aims to help improve the quality of life in rural areas by supporting a wide range of activities, including, business creation, village renewal and development, and tourism, as well as upgrading of rural heritage.

Speaking at the launch in Strabane the Minister said: “The North West Cluster is one of seven ‘clusters’ created to inject money, employment and resources into rural communities across the North.

“Every rural community, town, village needs to play its part in dealing with the current economic climate and also prepare for economic growth in the future. I recognise that current global economic conditions present local businesses with significant challenges. Business success is crucial to the health of rural economies and it is essential that in delivering the Rural Development Programme we focus on what rural economies need to survive and thrive.

"As an Executive and as Minister it is vital that we address historical under-investment in areas such as the North West. That is why we allocated the first half of the funding for the RDP based on objective need and as a result the North West has received the second highest allocation.

"The £18.4m of RDP funding made available to the North West Cluster will also encourage investment from other private and public organisations in the local area.  The Programme has tremendous potential to make a difference to the region and I hope in a few years time we can look back and be proud of the difference this investment has made."

Councillor Paddy Butcher, Chairman of the Joint Committee commented: “This significant level of funding will go far towards stimulating and supporting rural development at a time of economic uncertainty. The significant investment will encourage individuals and organisations to work together to enhance and improve the lives of all those living in our rural communities.”

The Chairperson of the Local Action Group (LAG) Mr Albert Allen outlined the benefit of the bottom-up partnership approach and added: “While the European Union and DARD provide the funding, it is local people who decide how the funding should be spent. The people in the Local Action Group represent the four Councils, local community organisations, businesses and agriculture. As guidance to the N W Cluster a strategy has been developed by all the stakeholders in the area and this will ensure that the benefits from the funding will go to those who need it most.”

The cluster will soon be inviting applications to the RDP. For further information please email: development@omagh.gov.uk

The Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 is part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Notes to Editors

1. The allocation to the NWRC cluster (Omagh, Limavady, Strabane and Derry) was £18,484,112.
2. This component of the RDP contains the following measures:
   • Diversification into non-agricultural activities
   • Business creation and development
   • Encouragement of tourism activities
   • Basic services for the economy and rural population
   • Village renewal and development
   • Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage
3. The Minister had asked local councils to come together in clusters to deliver the Axis 3 ‘quality of life’ measures of the new Programme on a sub-regional basis, and seven clusters were formed. Each cluster will work with a new, locally formed Action Group to prepare and implement a local rural development strategy aimed at addressing need in the area.
4. The first tranche of allocations were calculated on the basis of equally weighted shares of cluster population, deprivation scale and deprivation extent. The indicative split of the first £50m was announced at June 2008 and confirmed to Joint Council Committees on 12 December 20008.
5. This second and final tranche has been calculated on the basis of competitive quality assessment of the local development strategies submitted.  
6. All media enquiries to DARD Press Office, telephone 028 9052 4619. Out of hours, contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440, and your call will be returned.