At the end of November 2007, WLGA Council approved the consolidation of the Central Wales Plus Regional Partnership Board's rural lobbying work under a new WLGA Rural Forum, a sectoral grouping within the WLGA. This Forum now runs alongside the Central Wales Regional Partnership Board which continues to provide a steer on collaboration in the region and at the same time link into collaboration efforts underway and in the planning stage elsewhere as a way to secure the best efficiencies and critical mass for the ‘core’ authority group.
The purpose of the WLGA's rural Forum is:
- To provide a local government forum for exchanging views on key issues affecting rural Wales;
- To provide a coordinated approach to key strategic issues affecting local authorities in rural Wales;
- To identify items of common concern and to discuss ways of addressing them in co-operation;
- To co-ordinate lobbying or representation on issues of common concern to achieve better outcomes for the communities and people of rural Wales;
- To identify potential areas of collaboration and joint work for the benefit of rural areas;
- Where possible, to speak with one voice for and represent the interests of local authorities in rural Wales;
- To undertake such other collaborative discussions about rural Wales as are agreed to be appropriate, to further the economic, social and environmental well-being of rural areas.
To access the agendas, papers, minutes and any related publications for the WLGA's Rural Forum, please see below.
Since coming into being, the WLGA's Rural Forum has given evidence and lobbied on a number of issues which include the following:
- WLGA evidence to the National Assembly for Wales Rural Development Sub Committee's Inquiry into Rural Poverty and Deprivation in Wales - click here.
- WLGA evidence to the National Assembly for Wales Rural Development Sub Committee on Rural Schools - click here.
- WLGA evidence to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in relation to Rural Housing in Wales - click here.
- WLGA breifing on Rural Health Planning - improving service delivery - click here.
- To view the WLGA's "Broadband in Rural Wales" report please click on the image below; this report was commissioned by the Forum and published in November 2009:
The next meeting of the WLGA's Rural Forum will be held on Friday 30th April 2010 with attendance by invitation only - venue to be arranged.
For more information contact: Susan Perkins