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Hampshire County Council is backing
Winchester Business Excellence Awards again this
year and the authority is concentrating on enterprise
in the countryside.
"We hope that our support for the
new Rural Business category will encourage companies
from outside the city centre to submit an entry."
Said the county council's deputy leader, Michael
Woodhall. "We know there's a wealth of entrepreneurial
spirit out there and we want these awards to highlight
some of our most innovative and dynamic businesses
in rural communities."
Mr Woodhall said the county council's
involvement in Winchester Business Excellence
Awards helped raise awareness of outstanding achievements.
"We believe awards can help companies have a higher
profile - and increased sales often result from
that."
Through its Economic Deelopment
Office, the county council is committed to supporting
the rural economy through a "can do" policy. The
council helps develop partnership projects targeting
key areas of need in rural areas. It supports
the food economy through its setting-up of Hampshire
Farmers' Markets. It finances the local food group,
Hampshire Fare and Hampshire Food Festival.
The council says it is addressing
the issue of diminishing slaughter facilities
and supporting the establishment of a Local Food
Centre for Hampshire, and public sector procurement
of local food.
With Hampshire Economic Partnership,
the council is helping small rural towns to grab
a share of £1.2m from the South East England Development
Agency's Market Towns Programme. To access the
funds, towns have to complete a healthcheck and
develop an action plan. Already, four town partnerships
- Alton, New Milton, Whitchurch and Whitehill/Bordon
- have carried out a Market Town Healthcheck and
prepared an action plan.
Towns currently carrying out a healthcheck
include Bishops's Waltham, botley, Horndean, Petersfield
and Romsey. Alresford has finished the major part
of the process, but is working on a Town Design
Statement, while a new town Partnership Group
is emerging to document the work done to date
and take the plan forward. Denmead is working
on a Village Design Statement before starting
its healthcheck.
The EDO also leads Hampshire Broadband
Project, which is particularly keen to bring fast
internet access to rural communities.
It monitors the effects of EU agriculture
policy reform. Farming subsidies are no longer
tied to a farmer's level of production, so that,
in theory, a farmer can claim subsidy without
producing anything. Dairy and livestock herds
are under threat and the landscape of Hampshire
is likely to change as a result.
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