To receive information on the LEADER Programme 2014 – 2020.

Questions from members of the public are welcome.

Lyn Newton, Economy and Community Services (ECS) Manager introduced the report which provided a background of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) LEADER Programme and details of the new RDPE LEADER Programme for Kent 2014-2020.

The ECS Manager indicated that the administrative area of Swale had been split between two of the three proposed LEADER areas, under the current proposal, as follows:

West Kent Leader will cover the rural areas of Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and part of rural Gravesham.

Kent Downs and Marshes Leader will cover the rural areas of Ashford, Maidstone, Medway, Swale (west of Faversham) and the Romney Marshes.

East Kent Leader will cover the rural areas of Thanet, Canterbury, Dover, Swale (East of and including Faversham) and Shepway (north of the Romney marshes).

The ECS Manager highlighted the potential risks of splitting of the Eastern wards of the Borough into the East Kent LEADER area, with the remainder of the Borough being with the Kent Downs and Marshes area.  She stated that the split potentially gave Swale maximum  coverage but this may not be achieved if one of the bids that included Swale failed.  The three LEADER areas were based on economic coherence rather than political boundaries. 

The ECS Manager stated that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had also included four new hub towns: Sheerness, Minster, Faversham and Sevenoaks.  She explained that whilst this would not result in an increase of funding, the applicants from within the hub towns could be eligible to benefit from grant support dependent upon each Local Development Strategy (LDS), and drew attention to the eligibility map which was attached to the report.

The ECS Manager stated that LDS for funding under the new programme needed to be submitted by 5 September 2014.

Kieren Mansfield, ECS Manager stated that in preparing the LDS’s officers were being asked to make a special case for Sheerness and Minster to be included in the Kent Downs and Marshes Programme, although the area was at its population threshold of 150,000.  He indicated that there was a clear case for Sheerness, but was struggling with Minster in terms of demonstrating its role as a service area for the rural community.

Councillor Bowles raised concern about the sub-dividing of Swale which he felt could result in some parishes being disadvantaged.  He stated that the paper would be considered at SBC’s informal cabinet meeting on Tuesday 26 August 2014.

In response to queries, the ECS Manager stated that it was not a ‘fait accompli’ but any amendments to the LEADER areas would require consultation with other districts to establish whether they would agree to move some communities to other LEADER areas.  He stated that the classifications for eligibility however were not challengeable and there was no cap on bids as previously but these would probably be set within each areas LDS.

Councillor Ken Pugh provided some reasons to support Minster as a hub town and agreed to liaise direct with the ECS Manager with further reasons.

Discussions ensued and the following points were made: could lead to an increase in administration and bureaucracy; and need to ensure that application forms for grants were straight forward and easy for applicants to complete.

Councillor Bowles stated that as soon as the LDS had been agreed both Hugh Jarvis and Keith Harrison (KCC) should be invited to attend a future meeting of the Forum to present on how organisations could apply for grants.

·         Democratic Services Officer