Future arrangements

Background
The Rural Accord was set up in 2000 under the provisions of the original Regional Concordat to ensure that the strategic public agency partners in the region were coordinated in their approach to policy and programme delivery in the West Midlands.  Subsequent to that, Defra was formed, Government Offices became directly involved in rural affairs, and Rural Affairs Forums were established in their present form in 2002.

Following the publication of the Rural Strategy 2004, other structural changes included the creation of Natural England and the Commission for Rural Communities.  Further changes in relationships will occur as a result of the new Rural Development Programme for England and the Sub-National Review.

Purpose and function of Rural Accord
The purpose of the Rural Accord has been to coordinate the activities at regional level by public sector bodies involved in rural policy and delivery, through: 

In pursuit of these aims, the Accord has been called on to perform a range of different tasks.  In practical terms most of its work fell in the following areas:

The future
With the changing architecture of regional organisations, the more fundamental issues of duplication in terms of time and effort expended become critical, particularly in the current climate of declining capacity.  In view of these developments, and with an eye to the future, Rural Accord members agreed in July 2007 that a fundamental review was necessary.  This review has resulted in the decision to cease as a separate entity from March 2008.  Outstanding issues have been considered and a number of the tasks will be subsumed into the work programme of the West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum.

For more information see the notes of the final meeting of the Rural Accord, held on 23 January 2008.