West Yorkshire Rural Partnership
About the West Yorkshire Rural Partnership
Aims and objectives
The purpose of the West Yorkshire Rural Partnership (WYRP) is to work in partnership to promote and deliver the regeneration of rural communities in West Yorkshire. It is concerned with the economic, social and environmental issues faced by rural areas in the sub-region and works at a local, district, regional and national level to address the issues.
The objectives of the Partnership are:
- To assist in the continuing development and delivery of the Yorkshire and Humber Rural Framework;
- To initiate actions that address local rural needs and seek to maximise the opportunities provided by rural communities that contribute to the wider social, economic and environmental well being of West Yorkshire;
- To ensure that the Partnership takes appropriate action to maximise the benefit for local rural communities of Government policies and programmes, and to ensure that issues of significance to those communities are raised with policy makers at local and national levels
- To ensure that rural issues are adequately represented in all strategic documents across the region and sub region (e.g. Development Plans, Local Development Framework, Local Economic Assessments, Local Transport Plans, Community Strategies etc)
- To articulate the needs of West Yorkshire's rural communities and influence the Regional Rural Affairs Forum and other regional and national bodies.
- To seek representation on local, regional and national bodies as appropriate.
- To be a rural advocate within the Leeds City Region, including the Local Enterprise Partnership.
WYRP: Terms of Reference [PDF file 135KB]|
WYRP Technical Group: Terms of Reference [PDF file 100KB]|
The rural areas of the West Yorkshire sub-region are a core part of its product offer, and contribute substantially to the competitive advantage of its towns and cities: Map of West Yorkshire's urban / rural split [PDF file 106KB]|.
As such the sustainable development of rural areas is inextricably linked with the ongoing development and success of the sub-region and should be managed and developed as a core part of the Sub-Regional Investment Planning process. The West Yorkshire Rural Partnership thus has a vital role to play in the economic development of the sub-region and the Leeds City Region.
Management
The Partnership is one of three Sub Regional Rural Partnerships operating in the Yorkshire and Humber area, the others being: North Yorkshire Rural Partnership and East Riding Rural Partnership.
The WYRP is chaired by a member of one of the constituent local authorities and the Chair is elected annually in the first meeting of the municipal year.
The Secretariat for the West Yorkshire Rural Partnership is provided by the Partnership's officer who is supported by Calderdale Council’s Business and Economy Section.
The Rural Partnership meets a minimum of four times a year.
Decisions are agreed by consensus wherever possible. If voting is necessary, it is by simple majority of those core member organisations present, the chairperson having a second (casting) vote in case of a tie.
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council acts as the Financial Accountable Body on behalf of the West Yorkshire Rural Partnership.
