Research Associates
Ros Boase has worked with colleagues at CCRI on two recent projects: ‘evaluation of Village Design Statements in Ireland’ and ‘estimating the incidental socio-economic impacts of Environmental Stewardship’.
Laurence Carmichael works on projects examining interactions between knowledge and models of governance in local environment policies. She is currently developing research partnerships, projects and curriculum development in the field of environment policies and implications for local authorities. She has previously worked on EU funded projects, on bidding, coordination and research, and has been involved in consultancy work for the UK Government, outside agencies or voluntary bodies on research examining urban governance, community involvement and impact of projects/programmes at the local level.
Ian Condliffe is an independent consultant who has advised the UK, Canadian and central European governments on the design and implementation of agri-environment and other land-based schemes. He is particularly interested in upland environmental, agricultural and common land issues and works with policy makers, advocates, scientists, technical advisers and land managers to achieve solutions in these areas. He is currently the UK independent technical adviser for the redesignation of Less Favoured Areas, working with both the UK Government and the European Commission.
Graham Garbutt retired recently from his successive roles as CEO of the Countryside Agency and the Commission for Rural Communities, having managed the transition and successfully established the Commission's clear focus on economic and social policy in rural England. He will reflect on this experience at the CCRI Policy Conference which is to be held on 21 October 2009 at the Queens Hotel in Cheltenham. Graham is currently working with the OECD on its review of regional development in Chile, and with several European bodies.
Alan Greer is a Reader in Politics and Public Policy at the University of the West of England. His main research interests lie in the field of public policy analysis and governance, with particular emphasis on comparative agricultural and rural policy. His publications include ‘Agricultural policy in Europe’ (Manchester University Press 2005) and ‘Policy networks and policy change in organic agriculture: a comparative analysis of the UK and Ireland’, (Public Administration 2002).
Andrew Gilg has 35 years of experience in research into countryside planning issues. Recent research includes work for DEFRA into ‘Environmental attitudes’ and two ‘Local Housing Need Surveys’ in Devon.
Glenn Lyons is Director of the Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England and has been involved in developing the newly formed academic grouping – the rural Accessibilities and Mobilities Forum.
Graham Parkhurst in the Centre for Transport & Society at the University of the West of England, has led a 'thinkpiece' exercise considering the implications of new transport technologies for rural areas. As a co-investigator in the 'grey & pleasant land' project, he is leading a work package to understand the broader significance of mobility to the quality of life of older citizens living in rural areas.
Susan Rabbich set up and developed the South West Rural Update (SWRU) programme, which is an information and learning network offered by universities and colleges to business, professionals and communities in the South West of England. SWRU hosts regular seminars offering insights into current topics that are relevant to rural development. Events have brought together leading researchers, the experience of professionals in the field and practical examples from business and current initiatives. Seminars have covered areas such as waste management, local food, bio-gas and also the challenges of peak oil and climate change for rural communities. The National Rural Knowledge Exchange (NRKE) funded the project which began in November 2007 and finished in Spring 2009. The Royal Agricultural College provided the support and leadership for this initiative in conjunction with NRKE.
Rosie Simpson has over 30 years experience in rural and environmental policy development, advocacy and training, including work with the Peak National Park, Countryside Commission, English Nature and Natural England. In 2004 she was Visiting Researcher at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Montpellier, France, studying the implementation of rural development policy. Rosie now runs her own consultancy in European and UK environmental policy - undertaking research and analysis, training and facilitation. Current projects include leading a 3-year training programme for protected area managers in the Danube-Carpathian region, developing guidance on sustainable tourism and research on rural development implementation.
Richard Spalding is a rural geographer working in South Gloucestershire on the ongoing heritage-led regeneration of Winterbourne Medieval Barn. He is Chair of the South Gloucestershire Local Food Partnership.
Jim Swanson is a lecturer in rural land use at Hartpury College. His interests and areas of work include all aspects of rural land use policy, legislation, management and ecology, especially grazing systems (from agricultural to wild herbivores), sustainability issues and landscape scale management.
James Taylor assisted Janet Dwyer on a literature review for the Institute for European Environmental Policy as part of a study for the European Commission regarding the environmental and animal welfare public goods provided through agriculture. James interviewed farmers all over the country as part of the 'smarter land management' study for the National Trust. In 2009 he carried out two studies for the ENRD Contact Point, assessing the activities of eight member states' rural networks, and he is also working with Janet Dwyer on the RuDi project.
Alan Terry’s main research interests are rural development, especially the consequences of the commercialisation of smallholder farmers within southern Africa. This has mainly involved longitudinal studies with emerging small-scale sugar producers in Swaziland and the institutions that support them. He is becoming more involved in a consideration of how small-scale rain-fed farmers perceive climate change and the potential of small-scale water–harvesting and other indigenous soil and water conservation methods to improve food security, income earning opportunities and resilience in resource poor agricultural systems. He has also carried out research into the potential of sustainability indicators to improve community based resource management in South Africa, India and the UK.
Don Webber is an associate professor of economics at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He is an applied economist who employs a range of statistical and econometric techniques for the analysis of spatial patterns in socio-economic variables. Current research interests include the urban-rural productivity divide and the micro-economics of spatial productivity differentials. Don has been contracted to work for the Welsh Assembly Government, the UK Government’s Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the South West Regional Development Agency.
Alan Woods has over 20 years’ experience in land-use policy research and advocacy. He now runs his own consultancy in business strategy and environmental policy. Alan chairs an Environment Agency Regional Advisory Committee, and the National Conservation and Recreation Panel of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. His recent report for the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) Programme, ‘securing integrated land management’, identified lessons for policy, research and rural communities from current land-use research, including work undertaken by CCRI.
