GLOWING tributes were paid to a champion of rural Cumbria described as "the rural persuader" at this year's Lowther Horse Trials.

John Dunning's retirement after 20 years as founder chairman of Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency prompted a wave of praise under the white canvas of the agency's marquee.

But before Mr Dunning's peers were allowed to speak, he allowed himself a few minutes to reminisce about his involvement in changing Cumbria's rural economy.

He recalled how his enthusiasm for energising enterprise in the countryside was inspired by members of the countryside movement.

He said they had "an enthusiasm and a dedication that I found not entirely present with the minister at the Department of Agriculture".

He spoke of his desire to shift the economy away from an agrarian control of the food chain towards a wider economy with more enterprise.

Those changes, he said, were now well under way: "Agriculture is changing and the new one has to be based on conservation as well as production."

Mr Dunning (pictured) said that, at a time when the county's economic performance is 23.5 per cent below the rest of the North West region, new enterprises had to be encouraged and existing ones strengthened.

He said negotiating planning applications with the Lake District National Park Authority, with around 600 applications from business each year, was crucial.

"The view of the LDNPA is that the national park has to be conserved and looked after as it is," he said. "But at the same time, we have to have a viable and vibrant rural economy."

He said a mix of agriculture, tourism and recreation was needed to make "a new economy in rural Cumbria - an economy that can be rebuilt and renewed for the future".

James Cropper, Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria and president of CREA, was quick to sing Mr Dunning's praises, describing him as "one of the most formidable thinkers about rural policies".

He said, under Mr Dunning's steering, the North West Development Agency had committed £40 million to the county over the next few years.

Penrith and the Border MP David Maclean said: "Thank God this county has had the benefits of him for the last 50 years."

Mr Dunning said he would take over from James Cropper as CREA president.