Yesterday (10 July 2024). the Senedd saw the public launch of the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales in front of an audience of academics, researchers, politicians, policy makers and sector experts. The project represents a new partnership between universities, businesses and policy makers that endeavours to solve some of the biggest challenges facing rural communities in Wales. The aim of the partnership is to see how research and innovation can link together different policy strands, helping to improve understanding of the true needs of rural communities and secure academic and practical outputs that will ensure genuine change on the ground.
The project focuses on the ten local authority areas which form most of rural Wales: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Powys, and the Vale of Glamorgan but also includes rural communities in other parts of Wales. Clearly the project is broad in scope to the extent there are big economic, cultural, and geographical differences between these areas, yet they all to differing extents face similar challenges when considering issues such as housing, work, transport, infrastructure, migration, as well as public spaces and services.
As conventional economic renewal models are often based on work involved with towns and significant population centres, there is a particular need for research that looks at how rural community resilience can be achieved that considers factors such as dispersed populations, lack of public resources, the nature of small rural businesses, and a lack of infrastructure to attract and maintain investment. Ensuring growth while also making sure that community wellbeing is fully considered is essential for those at the helm of the project as well as ensuring that the environment, language and culture of these places are given proper attention in an age where economic disparity and climate change threatens our way of life.
The event was opened by Professor Rhys Jones, one of the leaders of the project. He was followed by the Llywydd of the Senedd Elin Jones AS, who emphasised the importance of the countryside and its people for the entirety of Wales, and her pride in being a part of an event which prioritised rural needs. Then Alice Taylor from UK Research and Innovation spoke about how the LPIP is a part of broader efforts to understand the policy needs of different areas through research. Closing the event was Professor Mike Woods, the leader of the project, who outlined how the project would operate and all the work strands that constitute the scheme.
After the event, Mike Woods said:
‘We are pleased to have been able to launch Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales in the Senedd and thank Elin Jones MS for hosting us. The interest and enthusiasm that the initiative has received has been excellent and we look forward to working with people and organisations across the public, private and third sectors, as well as with Senedd Members and MPs, to help address the challenges facing Rural Wales.’
For more information regarding the project, keep a look out on Arsyllfa in the weeks and months to come, and make sure you follow @LPIPCymruWledig on Twitter / X.
