The LEADER Project

LEADER is a locally-led approach to supporting rural issues. LEADER aims to address lagging economic performance and the resultant social and environmental problems that this causes in rural areas. The local rural community can identify and develop projects to address these issues and apply for grant funding to support them. The aims as laid out within the South East Plan are given the priorities listed on the right, and overall they aim to make the following differences to the area:

  • Maintain and enhance the region's landscape, biodiversity, heritage and cultural assets
  • Deliver the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy to help farmers and growers achieve improved economic and environmental performance
  • Enhance skills and capacity on farms and in rural and urban fringe communities, enabling people and businesses to respond positively to new market opportunities, new environmental responsibilities (including climate change) and social change
  • Increase numbers of environmentally sustainable and economically viable farming, horticultural, forestry and other micro rural businesses through greater innovation, improved business efficiency and encouragement of a new generation of entrepreneurs (particularly women and young people)
  • Reduce social exclusion and disadvantage in rural areas
  • Contribute to mitigating climate change by fostering sustainable production and consumption, improved water and soil management, improved energy efficiency and renewable energy supply chains
  • Improve access to the countryside for greater awareness and improved health
  • Manage water and waste in the region to address the needs of rural businesses and the Water Framework Directive (WFD)
  • Bring the forestry assets in the region back into sustainable management for improved biodiversity, renewable energy production and increased use for recreational purposes
Issues that LEADER is concerned with
  • Making agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable
  • Enhancing the environment and countryside
  • Rural quality of life and diversification of the rural economy
Priorities for the South East
  • Meeting Defra biodiversity indicators
  • Addressing climate change
  • Local quality food sales
  • Adding value to forestry
  • Rural tourism
  • Skills development
  • Assisting the livestock sector
  • Innovation and entrepreneurship
Why LEADER?

LEADER is a programme that originated in Europe, and stands for Liaison entre actions de developpement rural - integrated action for rural development. See the EU website for more details

The new Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) opened for business on the 18th January 2008 and will run to 2013; it replaces the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). The RDPE is jointly funded by the EU, through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, and the UK Government.