Which areas are eligible for LEADER funding?

To apply for LEADER funding the applicant, or their project or beneficiaries must be in a Local Action Group area.

What area does the New Forest LEADER Programme Cover?

The New Forest Local Action Group area is based around the New Forest National Park and includes the rural areas of New Forest District Council (NFDC) together with a number of adjacent rural parts of Wiltshire Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Burton Parish, part of Christchurch Borough Council.

New Forest District Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Wiltshire Council and Christchurch Borough Council all have areas defined by Defra as ‘urban’ in character. This makes them ineligible for LEADER funding.

However Lymington and Ringwood have been defined by Defra as being eligible ‘rural hub towns’ and are therefore included in the New Forest LEADER area, as are many of the smaller towns and villages.

To ensure you are in the New Forest LEADER area, check the map below.

There may occasionally be instances where potential applicants who are based outside the eligible area may still apply to LEADER; i.e. they live in the ‘urban’ area along the waterside of New Forest District but can demonstrate their work is of benefit to the rural parts of the new forest e.g. a forestry contractor. If you think this applies to you, please contact the LEADER office to discuss this before you apply.

Frequently Asked Questions about the New Forest LEADER Area

Who decides which areas are ‘rural’ and are therefore eligible for LEADER funding?

Funding for LEADER comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). As such it can only be used in rural (i.e. non-urban) areas. These ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ areas are defined by Defra in the National Delivery Framework for LEADER 2014-2020, published in April 2014, as follows:

“Rural areas and their populations are as defined in the 2011 rural-urban classification, based on the 2011 Census. Settlements with populations above 10,000 are defined as urban areas. Rural areas are the remainder, consisting of smaller towns, villages, hamlets or isolated dwellings.

Populations are based on a classification for Census Output Areas (which are the smallest area for which Census data are available).

The way Census Output Areas are defined can result in those on the edge of urban areas being classed as urban (since the majority of the population is within an urban built-up area) even though they include areas that are more rural in character (beyond the built-up area). To avoid these areas from being seen as ineligible for LEADER, LAG boundaries are drawn up to but not including the urban built up area, rather than being restricted by the Census Output Area boundaries. However, in such cases the population within the Census Output Area will be still classed as urban. The built-up area boundaries will be based on Office for National Statistics / Ordnance Survey mapping, available from the ONS Geoportal.

In addition to the standard rural-urban classification, some settlements with a population over 10,000 may be identified as service and business ‘rural hub towns’ for their rural hinterland and would be eligible for inclusion in the LEADER LAG area.”

For more information go to: https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/geoportal/catalog/main/home.page

Why is it called ‘New Forest LEADER’ if it includes parts of Wiltshire and Test Valley?

The New Forest LEADER area has a cohesive identity of landscape and culture, characterised by farming, forestry and commoning which in turn support the landscape and a strong tourism industry.

It includes a number of parishes around the National Park as many of the commoning, contracting and producer businesses that are critical to the local economy are located within these areas. The nature of the New Forest, the development policies and the price of land in the central area of the Forest, all mean that businesses whose work is focussed on the New Forest and in many situations are essential to maintaining the rural landscape, are more often located within the Forest periphery and the adjacent market towns.

What if my business isn’t based within the New Forest LEADER area?

There are other LEADER Local Action Groups across the UK. Therefore if your business or project is outside of the New Forest LEADER area, visit the Defra website www.gov.uk/rural-development-programme-for-england-leader-funding to find the contact details for other Local Action Groups who may be able to help.

The areas which are eligible for funding can be seen in this map:

Download New Forest LEADER area map