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£1 million package to support Peak District businesses and communities

22/04/2009

A £1.253 million scheme will be launched today (Wednesday 22 April) by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda), the Peak District National Park Authority and the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership (DDEP) to support rural businesses and communities
(l-r) Dr Bryan Jackson, chair of emda; Narendra Bajaria, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority; Diane Cone, landady of the Barrel Inn at Bretton and Judith Hancock, from Castlegate Farm.

The three-year ‘Live & Work Rural’ programme aims to help businesses create new jobs and safeguard existing ones and enable communities to carry out projects to benefit local residents.  It is funded by a:

• £595,000 grant from emda and DDEP
• £458,000 of funding from the Peak District National Park Authority and
• £200,000 of additional support from various other partners.

The news comes as independent research, recently commissioned by emda reveals the Peak District National Park contributed around £155 million* to the region in economic output (or Gross Value Added - GVA) in 2007.  The Park supports over 14,000 jobs across 2,800 businesses – a significant contribution to the East Midlands economy.

The report also shows that businesses located in the Peak District can gain a competitive advantage due to the quality of the environment and the area’s profile.

Commenting on these findings, Dr Bryan Jackson, emda’s Chairman, said:  “This research confirms the important role that the Park plays in contributing to local communities and the wider regional economy.  The East Midlands is one of the most rural areas in England, so it is vital – particularly during these challenging economic times – that we support people and businesses operating in the countryside. 

Our investment in the ‘Live and Work Rural’ programme will help maximise the Park’s potential and prepare the region for the economic upturn.”

The ‘Live & Work Rural’ programme aims to:

• offer advice to anyone who has a business idea or is thinking of setting up a rural company that uses the Peak District environment as an asset with the aim of creating new jobs
• work with existing companies to help them get grants from local and regional funding bodies
• give companies advice about how they could use the Peak District environment to develop a business. This will complement business advice that will be offered by Business Link. 
• help businesses reduce their carbon footprint, care for the environment and get recognition for their green credentials.

The programme will also be used to develop the Peak District National Park Authority’s existing community planning work. 

Live & Work Rural officers will work with Peak District communities to:
• enable them to develop plans to tackle community issues. These could include anything from traffic problems through to a need for more youth facilities.
• encourage local people to use their skills for the benefit of the community and help strengthen community groups or initiatives
• help find funding to enable communities to deliver these projects

Narendra Bajaria, Chair of the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “While many rural businesses are by their very nature small in size when put together they make a huge contribution to the East Midlands economy and provide more than 14,000 jobs.

“The Peak District National Park is also home to 38,000 people and these businesses play a vital part in ensuring that our local communities continue to flourish.

“We are delighted that emda has given us funding to help support local communities and businesses through the current difficult economic climate. We will be working with a wide range of partners to make a real difference to the lives of local people.”

ENDS

For further press information please contact:

• John Fern, Head of Communications for the Peak District National Park Authority, on 01629 816356 or email john.fern@peakdistrict.gov.uk

• Clare Baker, Media and PR Manager for emda on 0115 988 8583 or email clarebaker@emd.org.uk 

Notes to editors

About the ‘Contribution of the Peak District National Park to the Economy of the East Midlands’ research

• This research was commissioned by emda in March 2008 and completed in November 2008 by SQW Consulting.  The aims and objectives were to:
 assess the contribution of The Peak District National Park to regional and sub-regional economies
 consider the relationship between the Park and surrounding market town and economic centres
 suggest suitable comparators and indicators against which to benchmark the National Park
 provide a baseline to judge economic performance against
 make recommendations on how the Peak District can maximise its contribution to the aims and objectives of the Regional Economic Strategy

• As part of the work, 300 businesses were surveyed (out of *approximately 2,800 businesses that were estimated to be located in the Peak District National Park in 2007, which generated over £780 million of turnover) [NB figures extracted from Inter-departmental Business Register]).  Key findings include:
 The Peak District National Park contributed around £155 million* to the region in economic output (or Gross Value Added - GVA) in 2007. 
 The Park supports over 14,000 jobs across 2,800 businesses – a significant contribution to the East Midlands economy.
 Businesses located in the Peak District can gain a competitive advantage due to the quality of the environment and the area’s profile.
 The Park makes a unique contribution to the region’s natural assets and its profile through tourism.  Tourists are estimated to spend approximately £135m each year, which significantly contributes to the East Midlands’ economy.
 40% of the 300 businesses surveyed felt that their performance would be seriously affected by a deterioration in the quality of the Peak District National Park landscape. Those most likely to be affected were from the agriculture, hotels, catering and retail business sectors.

• Click here to download the report or visit www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/liveandworkrural

About ‘Live & Work Rural’

This programme will run until 31 March 2012 as a pilot, with the intention that key findings may be transferred to other rural programmes if successful. It will be operated by the Peak District National Park Authority in partnership with emda and DDEP.  The support offered is not just open to land-based businesses (e.g. firms operating in the farming, horticulture and forestry sectors), it is also available more widely across the Peak District to generic businesses and people working in the area.  

Other partners supporting the project include:
• Business Link
• Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE – managed in the region by emda)
• Peak District Rural Action one LEADER Action Group
• University of Derby
• Peak District and Derbyshire Destination Management Partnership
• Natural England
• High Peak Borough Council
• Derbyshire Dales District Council
• Peak Partners for Rural Action.

About emda

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

• Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:
Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
• Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
• Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
• Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
• A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times. 

Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations. The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved. 

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

About the Peak District Park National Authority

For more information, visit www.peakdistrict.org