Development Board for Rural Wales

Development Board for Rural Wales (DBRW; ) was a non-departmental public body whose sponsor department was the Welsh Office.

History

It was established by the Development of Rural Wales Act 1976 and came into operation on 1 April 1977 by succeeding the Mid-Wales Development Corporation. The Board was responsible for an area comprising the counties of Powys, Cardiganshire and Meirionnydd. 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.

In 1999 the Board was merged under Government of Wales Act 1998 and its functions passed to the Welsh Development Agency.

Structure

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.