This week has seen the announcement of the end of the Regional Development Agencies and the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC). There is no doubt that the context in which the Rural Affairs Forum is working is changing rapidly and radically. As the RDA functions are passed to the new Local Enterprise Partnerships, the focus of activity will shift to the sub-regional level. Regional level roles and responsibilities will certainly diminish. At the same time at a national level, who will be speaking up for rural communities? There will be an enhanced policy unit within Defra, to pick up some of the work of the CRC, which may welcome the presence of RAFs as a conduit to rural practitioners. Or not! But whatever happens there will still be rural communities, with specific issues and needs. Somehow, somewhere their voice will be heard.
As the old revolutionary Maoist slogan says “world in great disorder – excellent situation”!
Alison McLean
0 Responses to ““The context in which the Rural Affairs Forum is working is changing rapidly and radically””