Rural focus groups rise from economic gloom

When Defra sliced 30 per cent off its budget only frontline services such as flooding and animal health were immune to the cuts.

Every other area suffered. The Department culled dozens of quangos which according to Jim Paice, the farming minister, were not providing value for money. Nevertheless, many had provided expert advice.

It has also begun to scrap the Rural Development Agencies (RDAs). Again the move is meant to cut out inefficiencies, but many expert rural issue groups are now struggling to survive.

The South East Farming Rural Issues Group, funded by South East England Development Agency, is under threat for example. But out of the bonfire a new group has sprung up. 

Hadlow Rural Focus Group in Kent is a voluntary gathering of local industry experts who pool their knowledge to devise new ways to engage the public and politicians with UK agriculture.

Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman would call it the ‘Big Society’ in action but one Hadlow member saw it differently.   

“We have been pushed to do something. The way the budget has been cut means many groups set up under RDAs will be lost.”

But he added the Hadlow group was a positive outcome.  

“I think anything that brings the industry together is great. What I like about this group is that we come out with positive action.”

This week the group – which has members from across the county and from organisations including the Kent Wildlife Trust, CLA, NFU and Kent Smallholders Group – discussed land use issues.  

“Policies have always been top down or bottom up but the advantage of groups like this is we can push in both directions. Some of us will have contacts with aspects of Government and MPs while others have better grass routes connections.”

The group already has a monthly page in a local country magazine and a regional paper is running a series of six pieces based on their work.

Group organiser Par Crawford said: “We would like our group to used as a blueprint. We are educating and advising the public and if we create groups like this across the country it could have a huge positive impact on the countryside.”

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