VisitEngland announces 15 Local Visitor Economy Partnerships

THE UK tourism network VisitEngland has announced 12 destinations to gain Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status, in addition to the 3 North East Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot LVEPs announced back in early 2023.

Marketing Cheshire, Experience Oxfordshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, Visit West, Marketing Manchester, Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby, Visit Hertfordshire, Visit Kent, Liverpool City Rregion, Cumbria Tourism, and Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country join the programme alongside the North East DDP pilot:- LVEPs NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland.

Developed and administered by VisitEngland, the national portfolio of strategic and high performing LVEPs support collaborative working locally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to grow the local visitor economy. The creation of LVEPs was part of the  UK Government's response

 to the recommendations of:- 'The de Bois Review: an independent review of DMOs within England,' to reshape destination management across England, reducing fragmentation and bringing coherence to its DMO landscape.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:- "VisitEngland is delighted to welcome the new LVEPs onto the programme, who will play a central role in transforming the visitor economy in England in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable way. Ensuring we have the right national and local infrastructure in place to grow our visitor economy will ensure England continues to be a compelling destination, for both domestic and international visitors, for years to come. We look forward to working in collaboration with the LVEPs, providing ongoing support including a team of dedicated VisitEngland Rregional development leads. LVEPs will also have access to resources and guidance from:- VisitBritain / VisitEngland within areas including:- product distribution, business support, bidding for funding and marketing."

VisitEngland will work closely with LVEPs during the set up process and beyond, with ongoing support from a team of five new Rregional Development Leads. As well as a nationally recognised official status, LVEPs will also be able to access expert advice, dedicated toolkits and training programmes, targeting their needs, from VisitBritain / VisitEngland in areas ranging from:- distribution, accessibility and sustainability to business support and marketing. An important strand of support will be highlighting available Government funding streams, as well as developing and providing a:- 'toolkit' to help LVEPs with bids to those streams.

VisitEngland welcomed the 1st 3 LVEPs, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland, onto the programme earlier this year. They form the pilot Destination Development Partnership (DDP) in the North East of England, led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative, 1st announced by the UK Government in November 2022. The pilot is a valuable opportunity to prove the DDP concept and the impact the model can have on growing the visitor economy, strengthening the case for future funding.

VisitEngland has worked in close consultation with DMOs to develop the LVEP programme, holding a series of roundtables across England in autumn 2022 with more than 100 participants.

For more information about applying to the LVEP programme please see:- VisitBritain.Org.

For more information:-

• On the:- 'The de Bois Review: an independent review of DMOs in England,' see the:- Gov.UK website.
   

• On the UK Government's response to the de Bois Review see:- Gov.UK website.
   

• On the North East Rregion DDP pilot see:- VisitBritain.Org.

CLA North News Release: Events across the North to provide clarity on future farming support

THE CLA (Country Land and Business Association) will be hosting a series of events covering Defra's Agricultural Transition Plan on 19 and 20 April in venues based in Yorkshire, the North East, Cumbria and Lancashire. This series of events are supported by GSC Grays.

Farmers are now well into the agricultural transition journey in England, with further cuts to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) due in 2023. By 2024, BPS recipients will have lost at least half of their payments, ahead of the final year of payments in 2027.

The cuts in BPS are being redirected into schemes that are focused on environmental land management. Recently, Government announced further information about the Sustainable Farming Incentive which will provide farmers with a diverse range of paid actions to manage hedgerows for wildlife, plant nectar-rich wildflowers and manage crop pests without the use of insecticides.

Building on the success of the Agricultural Transition Roadshows which the CLA ran last yearin 2022, the CLA Director North Lucinda Douglas said:- "This series of events is vital for farmers during a time of diminishing BPS payment, made worse by higher input costs and supply chain pressures. Accessing farm support is mired in complexity as Defra's environment-focussed support schemes are constantly evolving. At these events we will have experts from the CLA and Defra to provide clarity on navigating these schemes with the added bonus of providing guidance on how to access the various funding streams available."

During these 2 hour sessions you will hear directly from representatives, at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Those attending will also hear from:-

• CLA experts, including a presentation by:- Cameron Hughes, CLA Land Use Policy Adviser, who will discuss what the latest policy developments could mean for farmers and provide practical advice.
   

• Farm Resilience consultants will be offering free support and advice.

Event dates and venues (priced at £12 incl. VAT - will include:- either breakfast or lunch):-

o 19 April 2023  (Yorkshire and North East)

• Darrington Golf Club, Pontefract WF8 3BP, from:- 8am to 10.30am.
   

• Darlington Auction Mart, from:- 12pm to 2.30pm.

o 20 April 2023 (Cumbria and Lancashire)

• Newton Rigg, Penrith, CA11 0AH, from:- 8am to 10.30am.
   

• Garstang Golf Club, Preston PR3 1YE, from:- 12pm to 2.30pm.

This series of events can be access via:- CLA.Org.UK/Events. Members and guests requiring assistance with registration or further information can contact:- CLA North Events Coordinator Olivia Skeoch, by emailing:- Olivia.Skeoch@CLA.Org.UK.

For more information about the CLA, visit:- CLA.Org.UK or follow us on:- Twitter.