Minutes:
1. The Chairman invited the Cabinet Member, Mr Lynes and the Head of Kent Rural Regeneration, Mrs Harrison to give their presentation. Mr Lynes and Mrs Harrison focused on the following:
The Kent Rural PLC Concept
Since its launch in July 2011 at the County Show, Kent Rural PLC has held many meetings with various groups including local businesses, NFU and local government sectors. The discussions had been based on how the sector looked now and how best to grow the rural sector.
Comparisons
a) If Kent’s food sector was a PLC it would be worth £2.6 billion to our economy every year. This was likened to BMW Group Europe of 2.83 billion operating profit in 2010.
b) Horticulture and agriculture were the lynch pin of Kent’s £2.6 billion food sector.
Branding
a) How much is the Garden of England brand worth to Kent. The Kent Rural PLC has looked at food security, the availability of water and land.
The Kent Rural PLC’s aims
a) Attracting investment - to support new entrants and existing businesses.
b) Develop Skills – make the rural sector more attractive to young providing information to the careers centres.
c) Change the perception of the rural sector with a modern image of the new technologies used in the sector.
d) Build on the existing skills of Research & Development as part of the solution – East Malling Research seen as a real asset.
e) Influencing, securing and supporting infrastructure including technology eg Broadband. Members noted that one third of Kent did not have Broadband which needed to be remedied to assist regeneration.
f) Long term vision for where we want to be in the future.
g) Create a brief by gathering an accurate rural evidence base to become an annual report.
h) Need to ensure that the Spatial Plan understands and responds to this sector eg the Kent Rural Housing Protocol.
2. Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and make comments which included the following:
· It was suggested that the KCC logo should include the branding “Kent the Garden of England”. As Kent road signs needed replacing they should also have the branding. It was agreed to put this as a question to the next County Council meeting.
· Schools should be encouraged to visit establishments such as the East Malling Research Centre, so that children’s perceptions can be changed on how modern the rural sector is.
· In the current economic climate there was a need to encourage young people to look at a rural career path.
3. In response to a question, Mrs Harrison explained that schools in the areas without Broadband had connection to the education intranet but there was a bigger challenge when the children had homework in the evenings.
4. In response to a question, Mrs Harrison advised that renewable energies would be part of the second phase of the Kent Rural PLC agenda under the heading of “Low Carbon”.
5. The Chairman invited Mrs Harrison to give an update on the next rural visit. Members noted that the next visit was set for Friday, 25 November and that they would be visiting and meeting local business people involved in the Kent Downs and Marshes Leader Programme, which included a cheese producer and an example of a micro brewery.
6. RESOLVED that:
a) agreement be given to a question being put to the December County Council meeting on the branding “Kent the Garden of England” being used on specified Kent road signage and forming part of the KCC logo; and
b) the information given in the presentation and to Members be noted, with thanks.