The Rural Board is a group which has been set up in light of the rural governance structures set out in the Yorkshire and The Humber Rural Framework.
The purpose of the group is to provide strategic direction to the development and implementation of rural policy in Yorkshire and The Humber, acting as the 'rural champion' across the regional agenda.
The first formal meeting of the Rural Board took place on Monday 10th July 2006 at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield. The Rural Board has tightly drawn membership, comprising senior officers (Director level or equivalent) from GOYH, Yorkshire Forward, the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, Natural England Confederation, a local government representative and the Rural Affairs Forum Chair. The group is currently chaired and supported by GOYH with meetings planned to take place three times a year.
The objectives of the Rural Board are:
- To ensure that all rural activity across the region is better co-ordinated, securing greater coherence between rural policy and other regional strategies and delivery plans.
- To influence other regional decision-making bodies that control ‘mainstream’ public sector investments, e.g. housing, transport, tourism and skills.
- To oversee the continued development and implementation of the Y&H Rural Framework.
- To facilitate organisational and programme changes from Defra’s “Modernising Rural Delivery” programme.
- To provide strategic guidance on regional implementation of the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13.
- To undertake a forward-looking ‘visionary’ role by anticipating future developments likely to impact on the regional rural agenda.
