Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Senedd Member, Samuel Kurtz, launched the ‘Generating Growth in the Rural Economy; an inquiry into rural productivity in Wales in the Senedd’, this week.
Kurtz, who is chair of the Cross-Party Group on Rural Growth, led the inquiry, the largest ever cross-party Senedd investigation into the needs of the rural economy, and the final report sets out a robust and ambitious blueprint for the Welsh countryside, drawing together evidence from business, stakeholders, and employers.
Its recommendations focus on infrastructure and connectivity; housing and planning; tourism; and food and farming which, if implemented, could unleash the potential of Wales’ rural economy.
Some of the key recommendations made in the report include;
- Re-establishment of a Rural Development Board (ROB), to act as a focal point for facilitating rural growth.
- A raft of measures to enable the planning consent system to become an enabler for responsible growth.
- Measures to revitalise the rural tourism industry such as making Visit Wales to become an arm’s length body from government, with resources comparable to other parts of the UK.
- A review of the terms and clarity of the funding rates of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).
Samuel Kurtz MS, Chair of the CPG, said: “Rural Wales plays a key role in the future prosperity of our nation, but its potential will only be realised if policy makers and government understand its unique nature and needs.
“This cross-party report has taken evidence from a range of sectors throughout Wales, drawing on experiences of those living and working in rural Wales. The recommendations put forward are non-partisan but can act as a catalyst to simulate sustainable growth in our rural economy.
“I’m excited that this is the first report of its kind in the Senedd and I hope whomever is Wales’s new First Minister takes these recommendations seriously, to deliver for my constituents in West Wales and all of those who live in rural Wales.”
