Hi there,

it's a long way north in a lot of ways, but this may be of interest
to some list members,
regards
Paul

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INVITATION TO RURAL/ REGIONAL SEMINAR

REGIONAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION
NORTHERN BRANCH MEETING
27th June 2003, Durham County Hall, 1.30pm.

Rural policy has for a long time been the black hole at the heart of
UK economic development policy.  The wider importance of rural areas
beyond the agricultural economy has recently been recognised with the
creation of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in
the UK.  However, there remains a problem that rural policy remains
compartmentalised within regional economic development policy.  With
the declining importance of agriculture to the wider economy, rural
areas have become regarded as a 'problem' that needs solving.

There is of course a wider question of whether rural areas contribute
to their regions in a more positive way.  The experiences of BSE and
Foot and Mouth have shown that in many cases, rural areas are far more
than a container for agriculture, and have economic strengths in their
own right.  Indeed, such are their strengths that there may be
possibilities to harness these to the greater good of their regions.
Now, as the North East and otehr UK rural areas begin their recovery
from foot and mouth, there is an opportunity to put these experiences
into practice, and evaluate more critically what rural areas can
contribute more generally to regional social and economic development.

In the seminar, "The Role of the 'rural' in regional development",
actors from across the North of England will discuss experiences from
rural areas, the positive contributions they make to their regions,
and the barriers to benefiting their regions.  With six experienced
speakers from academic, policy and practitioner background, this event
promises to offer a broad-ranging examination of how rural areas can
move beyond the hand-out mentality, to harness their creative and
entrepreneurial potential, and play a part in delivering a more
balanced distribution of economic activity in the UK.

Led by one of the UK's leading scholars in the field of rural
economics, Professor Philip Lowe, and jointly organised with
Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy and the Northern Rural
Network, this seminar offers a forum to debate this pressing issue,
and to begin to map the landscape of the positive developments that
rural areas can make to the development of 'their' regions.

Speakers and topics include:-

Philip Lowe (CRE) - Current impulses affecting rural development at a
national and EU level

Fiona Gough (Rural Development Service) - Critical reflections on the
North East of England Rural Development Plan

Tom Warburton (One NorthEast) - Critical obstacles / opportunities to
the implementation of the North east rural action plan

Glyn Bateman  (Countryside Agency) - The achievements of the Market
Towns' initiative in the North East to date

Alan Hodgson (CURDS) - Rural ICT development in the North East

Jeremy Phillipson (CRE) - Rural enterprise in the North East

Catering for the event is being provided in association with the
Northumbrian Larder, a consortium of regional food producers who work
together to promote the image and attractiveness of Northumbrian food.

The event provides the opportunity to reflect on current practical and
theoretical developments in rural and regional policy, and all RSA
members and other interests and parties are warmly invited to attend.

To register for this event contact
Johanne Allinson
Centre for Rural Economy
Agriculture Building
University of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
Tel. +44 (191) 222 8888
e.mail: [log in to unmask]

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Dr. Paul Benneworth
ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow
CURDS
Newcastle University         E-mail [log in to unmask]
Newcastle upon Tyne       Office (0191) 222 8015
NE1 7RU                          Home   (0191) 258 7437
                                 Mobile: 0780 1538 758
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'http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/p.s.benneworth/test.htm
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