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Revitalising rural Scotland
06/04/2008
A historic programme to deliver environmental, social and economic benefits to Scotland's rural communities gets up and running tomorrow.
Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities is now open to interested parties to submit their ideas, offering farmers, foresters, businesses and community groups a share of almost £800 million to develop rural Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said:
"This is an important day, not just for rural communities, but for the country as a whole. Farmers, foresters and environmental interests will all reap enormous benefits.
"Rural Priorities offers businesses, farmers, foresters and other interested parties a chance to truly make a difference to rural Scotland.
"Mitigation of climate change, improving water quality and preservation of Scotland's unique biodiversity and landscapes are some of the key goals which the Scottish Government is seeking to gain from Rural Priorities.
"The scheme forms part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) covering 2007-13, which differs greatly from its predecessor.
"With measures to address economic and social goals as well as environmental measures, it is the first time a rural funding package has sought to deliver a Greener Scotland and to promote a Wealthier and Fairer rural Scotland."
"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage Scots to consider bringing forward innovative and environmentally friendly ideas to make rural Scotland a Greener place."
Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities (RDC - RP) is an integrated funding mechanism which will deliver targeted environmental, social and economic benefits.
It will contribute to the delivery of the Scottish Government's strategic objectives through regional priorities, agreed with stakeholders for each of the 11 regions.
Rural Priorities is a competitive mechanism to ensure that contracts are awarded for the proposals which are best able to deliver the agreed regional priorities.
Regional priorities have been established across the following five themes:
- business viability and competitiveness
- water quality
- adaptations to mitigate climate change
- biodiversity and landscapes
- thriving rural communities