Council leader lobbies for support after Brexit

As joint chair of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) Rural Forum she said that funding clarity is “crucial.”

At the moment, the Welsh Government is holding a consultation on “Sustainable Farming and Our Land,” until October 30, which will help shape their proposals for supporting the countryside after Brexit.

Cllr Harris said: “Rural communities are the backbone of Wales.

“Besides being the home of farmers who play a vital role in delivering food and maintaining our iconic landscapes, these communities encompass a real patchwork of a diverse range of places which are all separately characterised with their own distinct geography, demographic make-up and economies.

“I’m very pleased to have had the chance to informally meet with some of our key partners to discuss these proposals.

“It is important that we’re able to have these conversations, so that we are able to provide a more comprehensive response to the Welsh Government’s consultation.”

Gwynedd Council Leader Dyfrig Siencyn, joint chair of the rural forum, said: “Rural communities will need to be supported after leaving the EU.

"But with the added uncertainty posed by the delay of the UK Government’s Spending Review, and with scant detail forthcoming in regards to how rural development arrangements are emulated post Brexit, rural communities in particular are being left in the lurch.

“The future viability of our rural economies hinges on our ability to successfully replace EU arrangements and to maintain fair investment in these communities.”

The WLGA Rural Forum is the forum which represents the interests of nine local authorities in Wales classified as rural, and consists of: Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire and Carmarthenshire.

A rural authority conference is supposed to take place in Llanelwedd this autumn.