Pennine Prospects

LEADER. How did we decide what to fund?

How have we decided what to fund? From the beginning, the South Pennines Leader programme set out what its themes, objectives and priorities were and these can be summarised as follows;

The South Pennines Leader programme has four main themes;

• To develop, promote and celebrate the South Pennines’ distinctive cultural heritage and landscape;
• To develop and promote the strong “sense of place” felt by communities across the South Pennines;
• To assist in the promotion and development of the tourism and recreational economy in a sustainable manner; and
• To improve the quality of life of South Pennine communities by assisting in equitable access to services and allowing residents to benefit from sustainable community facilities.

All community projects or activity possess some of the following objectives:

• address exclusion from services & economic opportunities;
• improve quality of life;
• contribute to wider economic and environmental agendas;
• deliver a good return on investment;
• demonstrate innovative approaches;
• leave a lasting legacy;
• improve the sustainability of community organisations;
• contribute to the delivery of the ten priorities outlined in the South Pennines LEADER Local Development Strategy;
• contribute to the delivery of the South Pennines Heritage Strategy.

Projects or activity will contribute to the following outcomes;

• developing vibrant, inclusive, sustainable rural communities;
• ensuring communities have access to key services, located within the community, where such provision is the most appropriate & efficient solution;
• ensuring rural communities can reinforce a sense of place within their settlement and surroundings;
• assisting communities to articulate their own needs and proactively shape their future.

Projects or activity contribute to the ten priorities defined in the South Pennines Local Development Strategy

The LAG used the South Pennines Local Development Strategy to guide its decisions. The Strategy defines ten priorities for the South Pennines LEADER programme as follows;

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Renovation & Interpretation of local cultural or heritage features to contribute to wider economic and social agendas
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SPLP1
Realising the unexploited potential of recreational use of the area’s cultural heritage

SPLP2
Creating a collective voice and cultural image for the South Pennines

SPLP3
Improving knowledge of our heritage : research and development

SPLP4
Promoting Artistic and creative Interpretation of our landscape

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Provision of basic services for the economy and rural population;
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SPLP5
Improving remote service provision

SPLP6
Promoting sustainable community facilities

SPLP7
Optimising Use of Rural spaces : improved and extended use of community buildings

SPLP8
Improving the Historic Public realm

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Village Renewal and development
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SPLP9
Improving Access Points and community information

SPLP10
Promoting Use of Land for Community Recreational benefit

Above all, the Local Action Group recognised that it had a limited budget and so it looked for multi-objective community projects that were DISTINCTIVE, INNOVATIVE, involved WIDE PARTNERSHIP WORKING, represented GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY and those which leave a LASTING LEGACY to the South Pennines LEADER area.