28 December, 2001

John Sheard takes a somewhat jaundiced view of rural prospects in the New Year

GOOD RIDDANCE! What more can you say about the year that departs at mid-night on Monday? It was, at home, perhaps the worst year for Dales folk since the 1930s. Abroad, it was by and large unspeakable.

Well, a black year is nearly over. It's Christmas. And there are signs that things may be getting better. So let's enjoy it.

But it's over, almost, so let it go. Let's look forward to some of the things we might get in 2002. If, of course, we get anything of value - and that, of course, is debateable.

So here are my New Year's predictions with the betting odds for and against:

• The Government will announce a full, open, public enquiry into the foot and mouth disaster. The odds: three to one against.

• The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be given extra millions to provide more inspectors to ensure that FMD infected meats are not imported from abroad. With an iron Chancellor in place, five to one against.

• Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, will provide even more funds to help rural regeneration. Odds: evens - except that inner city problems in West and South Yorkshire will demand the lion's share.

• North Yorkshire County Council will be stripped of many of its planning powers: two to one on.

• Rural tourism will rebound: a two to one shot with one major exception. The Americans will not be coming because of safety fears over international air travel.

• Farmers will be offered more cash for their work on conserving the countryside as a move away from intensive agriculture. The odds-on favourite - if farmers are prepared to accept it.

• The Yorkshire Dales National Park will ease its planning requirements for new starter homes and small business premises. Another good bet - things are already moving in this direction.

• Fox hunting will be banned. This is a fifty-fifty chance because although there is a big anti-hunting majority in Parliament, Tony Blair will do all he can to prevent another uprising in the countryside after the FMD debacle

• Fishing will be banned. Not a chance with more than three million anglers in the country, many of them town-based Labour voters. But the anti-angling lobby will become more vocal.

• The Environment Agency, having gobbled up the once highly effective National Rivers Agency, will spend millions more to prevent water pollution. Ten to one against - there is not enough money in the pot for flood defences, never mind pollution.

• The country pub will be given a boost by EU demands that taxes on alcohol be harmonised across Europe, meaning huge cuts in Britain. Two to one against, with Gordon at the Treasury, but Tony might go some way towards this as his pro-Euro campaign warms up.

• We will have a long, hot summer. No odds - but one can always dream.

The good news here is that I am not a betting man so I won't be wasting a penny on any of the above. But here is an earnest prediction: the good folk of the Yorkshire Dales will pull together as they always have and, with luck, 2001 will soon become just another bad dream.

A Happy and, of even greater importance than usual, a Prosperous New Year from the Daelnet team.