Time for a new approach to planning for rural economic development? James Shorten outlines the findings of the Countryside Agency's recent research on planning for sustainable economic development in the English countryside, and argues that the dominant policy assertion that rural economies need further diversification looks increasingly questionable.(Rural economy) From: Town and Country Planning | Date: July 1, 2003| Author: Shorten, James | COPYRIGHT 2003 Town and Country Planning Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

There is a considerable body of recent government-supported research into rural and farm diversification and the planning system, (1) and last year the Countryside Agency asked Land Use Consultants to draw on this work to produce a position statement on planning for sustainable rural economic development to inform future national and local planning policy.

Rather than develop a set of model policies, the resulting position statement, Planning for Sustainable Rural Econom...