Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme

In 2015 Ards and North Down Rural Partnership was formed to deliver the LEADER element of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme via its Local Development Strategy.  Council acted as the administrative and financial lead for the delivery of the Rural Development Programme in Ards and North Down, providing a secretariat role.  It was completed in November 2022. 

The Programme provided funding for projects across four different themes as follows: 

• Rural Business Investment Scheme - To support and encourage the development of non-agricultural activities in rural areas for all micro and small enterprises. The programme's primary objective is to create new jobs.  
• Rural Basic Services Scheme - To support the provision of improvements in social infrastructure that will provide access to basic services which are an integral part of and in line with the Council Community Plan and emerging priorities. 
• Rural Village Renewal Scheme - To support the drafting and updating of integrated village plans and for the renewal of villages via capital investment to implement actions identified in village plans.  
• Cooperation Scheme - To promote support for co-operation projects with other Local Action Groups which bring benefits to all areas. 

Summary of Programme Outcomes 

• 78 projects completed across the four themes, which surpasses the original target of 65 as set out in the Strategy.  96 applications were received and processed.  
• £4,085,212 of grant aid has been paid to beneficiaries of this programme.  This is more than the original project budget of £3,150,000 as the Rural Partnership availed of additional funding offered by DAERA. 
• Total investment in the area equates to £6,858,081, which includes the £2,772,869 of match funding provided for projects by individuals, limited companies, community groups and Ards and North Down Borough Council.  
• To date, 45 Full Time Equivalent Jobs have been created, an increase of five more than the original target set. As businesses continue to grow, more jobs will be created. In addition, many more jobs have been safeguarded because of the funding provided. 

Under the Village Renewal Scheme, Council successfully applied for funding of just over £2m to deliver 30 projects, 15 of which were capital projects and the Rural Development Team led on 14 of these 15 projects.  The 15 projects are listed below: 

• Groomsport Path Improvements 
• Improvement Works to Ballywalter Harbour area 
• Conlig Community Centre Improvements and Extension 
• Portaferry Heritage Trail 
• Crawfordsburn Glen and Play Park Improvements
• Carrowdore Play Park 
• Killinchy Community Park 
• Kircubbin Green 
• Greyabbey Car Park Improvements  
• Improvements to Portaferry and Cloughey Play Parks 
• Ballywalter Lime Kilns Improvement Works 
• Ballygowan Village Hall Improvements
• Cloughey Car Park Improvement Works 
• Portavogie Community Centre 
• Carrowdore Environmental Improvement Scheme 

The Rural Development Section also led on the Grey Point Fort Co-Operation project which refurbished three searchlight emplacements at the site. 

Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (TRPSI) 

This is a capital grant scheme, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs which provides funding support for micro and small rural businesses from £500 up to a maximum of £4,999 and at a 50% grant rate.  The scheme has now operated successfully over four of the past five years.  Council provides the administrative function of the scheme by managing the application, assessment, Letter of Offer and grant claim elements of the scheme. 

84 Letters of Offer, to the total value of £224,036 have been issued across the Borough under the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme to date.  This includes support for a wide range of businesses sectors, such as manufacturing, engineering, tourism, arts and crafts, personal training, horticulture, café's, graphic design, childcare and many more.  The funding allows these micro rural businesses to become sustainable and grow at a time when such businesses would struggle to do so without grant support. 

£184,512 of grant aid has been paid to these businesses to date.  Although this is a small grant scheme, feedback from the 2022 scheme shows that 3 full time and 5 part time jobs were created in that one year thanks to the support of this programme.