Why was Richmondshire given the award?
Richmondshire is a sparsely populated rural District of North
Yorkshire. Two thirds of it is in the Yorkshire Dales National
Park, the A1 runs through the Eastern part of the District and it
is also home to Catterick Garrison the largest Army encampment in
Europe. As a result, it has diverse needs. Richmondshire's examples
of best practice included the Community Investment Prospectuses
(CIP); specific actions taken (some as a result of the CIP
process); and a flexible approach to community economic development
(responding and reacting positively to feedback from local
consultation).
Richmondshire has used a "bottom up" approach to
establishing what these needs are, by working with the local
communities and community groups and splitting the District up into
six logical geographical areas. Richmondshire used Community
Investment Prospectuses (community based action plans, which
the local partnerships prepared with support from the Council,
where necessary) to establish the communities' needs and
strategies. These prospectuses have resulted in tangible actions
and results, but have been produced by the communities themselves
and cover arts, transport and learning amongst other things. They
are based on the communities' own analysis of need.
Some of the specific actions that have been taken include the
Northern Dales Meat Initiative, a supply chain and marketing
strategy, which has been developed with other local Districts and
has resulted in the formation of the Northern Dales Farmers'
Markets Ltd and construction of a new, local abattoir. The
Yorkshire Dales Joint Promotions Initiative through which a
decision has been made to promote the Dales as a whole, rather than
each District trying to sell itself as a visitor destination.
A number of surveys and analyses in Middleham meant
that the racehorse industry (upon which the local economy is highly
dependent) was given a boost in funding. As a result, the number of
horses in training increased from 150 (in 1994) to 520 – this had a
profound effect on the local economy, when you take into account
that there is one job for every two horses in
training.
Following extensive surveys and consultation, the Richmond
Partnership CIP group which includes Catterick Garrison,
raised money through SRB, which has resulted in a Community Health
and Recreation Centre, a high quality learning centre in
partnership with Darlington College, and a fully serviced business
park amongst other things.
Hudson House resulted from the closure of Barclays Bank
in Reeth and the local community identifying the need for easier
access to basic services in such a rural location. It is now a
one-stop-shop service centre provided by the Council, Police, Park
Authority, local Business Associations, CIP group, Swaledale
Festival and Business Link. The Dales Centre, also in Reeth,
has provided business premises for local crafts and manufacturing
businesses, and has been recognised as a good practice example in
the Rural White Paper.
Chief Executive Harry Tabiner, said the District Council has a
national reputation for developing projects to support the rural
economy, with a proven track record of delivering those projects on
the ground.
"With our limited resources, our strategy is to work innovatively
and entrepreneurially in partnership with others to identify
community needs," he said. "We wish to share our good practice of
supporting and working with local partnerships to prepare Community
Investment Prospectuses – community-based action plans, with a
network covering the whole district."
Leader of the Council, Councillor John Blackie, added: "We believe
the CIPs help us to strike the balance between economic
development, the needs of the community, and the protection of the
environment. They are excellent examples of community economic
development in practice."
Commenting on the award Chief Executive Harry Tabiner said: "This
is a major achievement for Richmondshire which adds to our
reputation in the fields of economic development and tourism. We
owe a great deal to the many voluntary organisations and
individuals who contribute to this area of work."
Local Government Minister, Nick Raynsford, added: "We are delighted
that Richmondshire District Council has achieved Beacon status for
the first time. Excellent public services should be a goal we all
strive towards and Beacon status recognises the hard work of staff
at the frontline of delivering services"
You can read the application that Richmondshire submitted for
Beacon Council Status by downloading this document.