Alison Webster Email & Phone Number

London, Gb

United Kingdom

London, United Kingdom

Responsible for the delivery of the socio-economic elements of the Rural Development Programme (£600m in the current Programme), which is part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) . RDP is delivered through small and large grant schemes (including the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme and Rural Economy Grant) and a skills framework that has 20 contracts delivering a range of skills programme to over 30,000 people. In addition, the Team is responsible for the £20m Rural Community Broadband Fund and management of the LEADER network of 64 Local Actions Groups. A requirement of the Programme is that 5% (approx £138m) should be locally through these locally led business and economic development groups. With the RDT located in 7 Area Teams over 14 sites across England it is uniquely placed within Defra’s Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to engage with local partners and businesses to listen to and feedback issues and help develop potential solutions with other Defra teams.

East Of England Based In Cambridge

Held a chief operating officer role at EEDA, one of the 8 Regional Development Agencies (RDAs); which were tasked with driving sustainable economic growth in the English regions. Reporting to the Board and Chief Executive, responsible for £105m of EEDA’s total £132m annual budget and a Directorate comprising 98 staff. Delivered EEDA’s largest single capital investment of £19m to create a University Campus in Ipswich; the first HE offer in Suffolk providing 7,500 student places. Created the innovative and nationally recognised Investing in Communities programme which delivered a £113 million sub-regional investment over 3 years in partnership with local authorities. Directed the application for an ESF programme which included the £9.3 million Beyond 2010 Skills Programme, with funding doubled by ESF match. Led, with the Executive Director of Finance, the successful hard closure of EEDA, which, along with the other RDAs, closed in March 2012 at the direction of the Coalition Government. From October 2011 to March 2012, 3 days a week to BIS to oversee the hard closure of NWRDA. .On behalf of the RDA network, led the transfer of the £600 million RDPE from RDAs into Defra; activity cited as an exemplar by the Office of Government Commerce.

United Kingdom