East Riding of Yorkshire Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council is England’s largest unitary authority with 95% of its land in some form of agricultural use. It provides services to a population of 317,502 living in an area of 933 square miles.
The Council’s area is primarily rural; the largest town, Bridlington, has just 32,000 inhabitants, and only two other towns – the county town of Beverley, and the inland port of Goole – have more than 20,000 residents. There are several smaller market towns including: Driffield (11461), Pocklington (7608), Hedon (6234), Market Weighton (5209), Howden (3785), and the coastal market towns of Hornsea (8248) and Withernsea (6045).
However, much of the East Riding is sparsely populated with many people living in small, relatively isolated villages where services are more difficult to access, and more costly, to provide.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council gives a high priority to supporting the rural economy and tackling rural problems. In 1996 the Council set up a dedicated Rural Development Unit, one of the first in the country, and formed a Rural Partnership, with in excess of 250 partners. The Partnership and its Rural Strategy and Action Plan are now aligned to the Local Strategic Partnership and its Community Plan.
The Council recognises the importance of local involvement and ownership and has played a key role in encouraging and supporting community based partnerships and the preparation of local plans. Regeneration programmes operate in the market towns/hinterlands of Withernsea (SRB5), Driffield (SRB6), Hornsea (MTI:Pilot), Market Weighton (MTI:Pilot), Howden (RMT) and partnerships in Pocklington(www.pocklington.gov.uk), the Township of Snaith and Cowick and the parishes of Easington and Flamborough are working to tackle local issues.
The Rural Development Team recently won Beacon Council Status (www.eastriding.gov.uk/council/beaconcouncil) for Supporting the Rural Economy with it’s wide range of themed and geographically targeted programmes:
A Focus Group on the Rural Partnership for agriculture and land management.
A network of business centres in market towns, with business services.
A network of 11 -customer service centres in small towns with 18 video linked advice centres in the more remote parts of the community.
A high priority to rural transport, with an emphasis on innovation.
For further information please contact:
Contact: Helen Wright
Position: Rural Development Manager
Address: East Riding of Yorkshire Council
EDT & FP (Rural Development)
County Hall
BEVERLEY
East Riding of Yorkshire
HU17 9BA
Tel 01482 391690, Minicom: 01482 393502
Typetalk: 0800 959598
Email:helen.wright@eastriding.gov.uk
Website: www.eastriding.gov.uk
