© city-map AG ‐ Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
In the year 2000 the community Kirchlinteln in Lower Saxony was awarded with the European village renewal prize by the ARGE country development and village renewal. The prize was awarded for planning and development in the village region Lintelner Geest, the five villages of the community and associated landscape in the east of the rural district Verden.
Kirchlinteln is comprehensive example for integrated and sustainable village and regional development of outstanding quality with a special social focus and solid added values against the background of a regional association. The tourism project for the handicapped amidst the five villages signals special vision and courage.
With this summary by Matthias Reichenbach-Klinke, the chairperson of the evaluation board, the success of the village renewal in the Lintelner Geest was honoured. On the basis of own space potential additional agricultural sources of income and new development chances in the socio-economic environment could be initiated and supported. The envisaged tourism development under the 'Leitmotif' 'soft recreation' has become a permanent culture and economy impulse in the region. On the basis of active citizens' participation a project with high acceptance and complex effects has been set into motion and implemented.
Economical success through DE-promotion
Until the year 1999 altogether 109 private and public enterprises with a promotion volume of nearly 1 million were realised in the Lintelner Geest in the course of the Lower Saxon village renewal programme. In continuation of these activities further 38 measures, so altogether 147 enterprises were realised until spring 2003. Further enterprises by private and public authorities are in the final stages. Other new approaches are being prepared.
If one counts the so-called windfall effects for non promoted measures too the reference value of the ARGE country development and village renewal in the Lintelner Geest reaches an investment volume of more than 7,5 million Euro. With an added value of around 6 million Euro private assets - equals over 3.000 Euro per head of the population living in the planning area - is being provided without considering trade tax and other effects alone of by a share of income tax, value-added tax and social security taxes. These taxes provided a significant share to the national budget (on a scale of ca. 2,8 million Euro).
This impressive balance by itself still gets more positive when one takes the regional agricultural impulses into account. Even though these effects can't be measured in monetary terms one can assume that they altogether contributed to the significant increase of the economic power.
Forward projection of country development programme
With the continuation of different country development instruments in the planning area and the whole community further positive perspectives are being created. As already mentioned promotion period and contingent for the project Lintelner Geest has been several times extended. These signals from the state of Lower Saxony are being seen as recognition for prior achievements and as incentive for future efforts.
In addition further villages of the community Kirchlinteln have been invited into the Lower Saxon village renewal programme. The responsible office for agrarian structure Verden was able to incorporate all relevant villages into the promoting areas of the EU-Programme proland.
Finally the admission of further community subspaces into the regional development concepts of the European association initiative Leader+ presents a special chance. By the inclusion of the Lintelner Geest in the agrarian structural development planning and Leader+-region 'Hohe Heide' and with the extension of the cooperation space 'Aller-Leinetal' around the community's southern space was it possible to improve conditions of the planned and structural frame conditions in mutual interest. The Lintelner Geest and the community Kirchlinteln profit from the regional orientation of the country development projects and in return can access these experiences and impulses if village renewal.
New projects in the village region
But first back again to the activities in the village region Lintelner Geest! There were and still are numerous private measures, which target the constructional renewal and regional-typical design of the rural structure. Profiting from the promotions are smaller measures like the replacement of damaged construction parts (basic aid 500 Euro) or complete renovation and reuse of former agricultural used building stock (maximum amount 20.000 Euro). In the past three years apart from these 'very normal' village renewal measures a number of enterprises have been implemented, which are in the public interest and achieve an contribution to sustainable development in the region.
Nature and culture trail
As one of the central public measures to develop tourist infrastructure the prepared nature and culture trail has been realised, which had been planned right from the beginning of the village renewal. With three sign-posted routes this trail runs through countryside and villages. Rustic wooden boards inform about the natural space qualities and the village cultural characteristics in the region. The nature and culture trail was officially inaugurated by the Lüneburg district president, Frau Wolff-Gebhardt, in October 2000.