New Norfolk Rural Strategy Published 10th November 2017

A revised Norfolk Rural Strategy authored by Collison and Associates was launched at an event at the Green Britain Centre in Swaffham on Friday 10th November.  The refreshed strategy was commissioned to update the original strategy published in 2013 to take account of the introduction of the National Living Wage, the vote to leave the EU and the relentless and accelerating march of technology.  The strategy proposes five headline areas for action:

• Lobbying for Support for Rural Development as the UK develops new UK administered investment programmes;
• Delivering a World Class Environment to make Norfolk an attractive place to live, work and visit;
• Technology Driven so that rural Norfolk embraces the opportunities technology can bring to the economy and lifestyles;
• Delivering AgriFood Competitiveness to ensure that Norfolk’s food chain remains competitive in the global market and exploits new markets through adding value;
• Enablers of Growth so that rural development is supported by an enabling planning system and supported with modern water, energy and communications infrastructure.

In all five areas the strategy also stresses the need to embrace innovation and deliver new skills, both for young people and the existing workforce, so that they can benefit from the opportunities that change will bring. The full strategy is published by Norfolk County Council at: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/what-we-do-and-how-we-work/policy-performance-and-partnerships/policies-and-strategies/business-policies/rural-development-strategy