Development Board For Rural Wales Records,

Development Board for Rural Wales records, containing minutes and other papers of the Board and various committees, 1977-1994; general administrative files concerning the establishment of the Board, its functions and responsibilities, and correspondence with other organizations, 1966-1990; construction files containing correspondence, contracts and estate plans relating to housing and industrial developments executed by the Board, particularly in Newtown, 1968-1993; records such as correspondence, minutes, notes and other papers relating to research studies on economic and social life in Mid-Wales carried out by the Board, 1968-1995; files relating to the Board's marketing and promotional strategy, 1978-1991; and press releases, 1977-1990; Mid-Wales Development Corporation records, 1962-1979, including annual reports, 1969-1977, minutes and papers of the Board and various committees, 1968-1979, and seal registers relating to MWDC projects, 1968-1976, containing compulsory purchase orders, contracts, leases and other documents. A further three files, being
An additional three files relating to the Development Board for Rural Wales, being DB/CF/101/1; DB/CF/101/2; DB/CF/101/3 – (Extension to Goodall & Swanwick factories at Dolgellau; factories at Dolgellau; and extension to Marian Park Industrial Estate, Dolgellau). These remain uncatalogued, and are closed for ten years from the date of the latest document in each file.

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. The Mid-Wales Development Corporation was established under the terms of the New Towns Act 1965 to reverse the trend of depopulation in rural Wales by doubling the population of Newtown. This was to be achieved by attracting people to the area through a programme of domestic and commercial construction. It worked initially in conjunction with the Mid-Wales Industrial Association which had been established in 1957 to attract industry to the region. The Association was dissolved in 1973 as a consequence of local government re-organisation. The MWDC was itself dissolved in 1977 and its responsibilities assumed by the DBRW.

The original file order used by the creator has been maintained. Arranged into the following: board and committees; seal registers (Mid-Wales Development Corporation); board and committees; construction files; economic development files; general administration files; marketing files; press releases (Development Board for Rural Wales).

Files containing material less than ten years old are closed until the dates specified in the list. Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Deposited by the Board, per Mrs J. D. Green, Central Services Manager, 1996 and 1997. An additional three files were received in December 2006.

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. The Mid-Wales Development Corporation was established under the terms of the New Towns Act 1965 to reverse the trend of depopulation in rural Wales by doubling the population of Newtown. This was to be achieved by attracting people to the area through a programme of domestic and commercial construction. It worked initially in conjunction with the Mid-Wales Industrial Association which had been established in 1957 to attract industry to the region. The Association was dissolved in 1973 as a consequence of local government re-organisation. The MWDC was itself dissolved in 1977 and its responsibilities assumed by the DBRW.

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales.

February 2004.

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used to compile this description: NLW, Schedule of Development Board For Rural Wales Records; Auditor General for Wales website (www.agw.wales.gov.uk), viewed 25 February 2004;

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Action: All records deposited at the National Library of Wales have been retained..

The records of the MWDC passed into the custody of the DBRW following its dissolution in 1977.

Accruals are possible.

Further papers are National Library of Wales, D. P. Garbett-Edwards Papers, Emrys Roberts Papers, and Wales Rural Development Board Inquiry Records.

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales