The Scottish Office (Back)

TOWARDS A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR RURAL SCOTLAND
 
SECTION 4 - CONCLUSIONS
103. This discussion paper has set out the new Government's overall aims for rural Scotland, emphasising that if truly sustainable rural development is to be achieved this needs to be a bottom-up community-led process. Development is something that individuals and groups do rather than something which is imposed from the top down. The Government's main role is to ensure that the structures and decision-making processes are in place to enable local people and local communities to shape their own future.
104. The Government believes a genuinely integrated and radical approach to all rural policy areas is required. The Government was elected on Manifesto commitments setting sustainable development at the heart of an approach which emphasises the role of local people at all levels in determining their own priorities, and acting on them. Its commitments demand a unity of purpose and action across all sectors, while requiring flexibility to react to local circumstance.
105. The Government would welcome views from all those living in rural areas, or who are committed to the future of rural Scotland, on how best to achieve sustainable rural development. In particular, we would welcome comments on the following specific questions which have been raised in the discussion paper:-
  • how best to increase local community involvement in rural development, taking account of the role of local authorities, community councils, and voluntary bodies (para 40).
  • how the reform of the EU Structural Funds can best contribute to Scotland's rural development needs (para 54).
  • the needs of Scotland's rural communities in the context of the approach to rural development set out in the Agenda 2000 document (para 60).
  • how the support presently available under the EAGGF can better be focussed to support rural development objectives (para 60).
  • how best to give rural communities a stake in the long term sustainable use of fishery resources (para 69).
  • the provision of key services in rural Scotland, and how the special circumstances of rural areas can best be taken into account (para 83).
  • the future role of the National Rural Partnership, and how local rural partnerships can be made more effective, in delivering the overall policy aim of sustainable development in rural Scotland (para 91).
  • how best to further an integrated approach at both national and local levels to achieving sustainable development in rural Scotland, and what the role of the National Rural Partnership and local rural partnerships might be in this process (para 98).
  • which policies need particular attention in order to ensure that policies are sufficiently flexible to take account of the different circumstances of rural areas, and what changes in policy to meet the needs of rural areas are required (para 102).
106. Views are invited by 31 March 1998. Please send responses to:

Mr Kevin Philpott
Rural Affairs and Natural Heritage Unit
The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department
Room 028
Pentland House
47, Robb's Loan
Edinburgh
EH14 1TY

Tel: 0131 244 3159

Fax: 0131 244 4071

E-mail: kevin.philpott@so061.scotoff.gov.uk