File C/43 - Rural society

The Development Board for Rural Wales (Bwrdd Datblygu Cymru Wledig) was a Non-Departmental Public Body whose sponsor department was the Welsh Office. It was established by the Development of Rural Wales Act 1976 and came into operation on 1 April 1977. The Board was responsible for an area comprising the counties of Powys and Ceredigion and the pre-1996 district of Meironnydd in Gwynedd. The general function of the Board was to undertake measures for the economic and social development of the area through a policy of job creation, land development, house building and sponsoring economic and industrial development. It also actively marketed the region. It was also responsible for the continuing development of Newtown, Powys, formerly administered by the Mid-Wales Development Corporation. The Board comprised a Chairman and twelve members. It met on a monthly basis to determine policy, which was executed through a number of Member Committees. Historically the budget was derived from two sources: the National Loans Fund, which formerly funded the development of Newtown, including housing activities, and the Grant-in-aid, which prior to 1996 funded the activities outside Newtown and since 1996 funded everything except housing activities. These activities included the development of industrial sites and factory construction, business development, research, promotion, grants to public bodies, and private, community and voluntary organisations for economic and social development. In October 1998 the DBRW and the Land Authority for Wales were merged with the Welsh Development Agency