Future of European funding to come under spotlight in the Dales

The LEADER programme has been responsible for providing the massive cash injection to schemes throughout the Dales since June 2009, but there are fears that rural communities could miss out in the next round of funding.

The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that fears are growing a network of contacts across Britain’s countryside will be eroded with predicted delays of up to 12 months before the next tranche of funding is made available under the LEADER initiative.

A free event will be staged on February 6 to outline the future plans for the LEADER programme and will also include presentations on local projects which have benefited, including a geology project by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and the education facilities at a restored 19th century sawmill on the edge of Hawes, called Gayle Mill.

However, senior officials behind the most successful LEADER project in the country which covers the North York Moors National Park warned last month that dwindling resources amid the Government’s austerity drive are compounding the problems.

The North York Moors, Coast and Hills LEADER Programme has allocated £3.1m to more than 200 schemes since the start of 2009. But the existing programme comes to an end in March 2014 and a new application for funding needs to be made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which distributes the cash from the European Commission.

The event to discuss the future of the LEADER programme in the Dales will be held from 1.30pm to 4.00pm at Gayle Mill. Places are limited and advance booking is essential. More information is available from the Dales LEADER Co-ordinator, Rima Berry, on 015242 51002 or by email at [email protected]

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