SEVERAL market towns have been chosen to demonstrate how they can become the new centres of employment, housing and services for their area.

Among those included in the Countryside Agency's Beacon Towns Initiative are Barnard Castle, Middleton in Teesdale, Richmond and Whitby.

They were chosen from more than 200 involved in the agency's Market Towns Initiative. Each has been picked to demonstrate how to tackle a particular range of issues, such as access to affordable broadband internet services, encouraging sustainable tourism, local food production and distribution and the role of the private sector in market town regeneration.

David McKnight, who is programme manager for Teesdale Market Towns Initiative, said Barnard Castle and Middleton were selected for the commitment of the community to improve the use of ICT in the dale, the establishment of a broadband service and for the culture of entrepreneurship.

However, Glyn Bateman, senior countryside officer with the Countryside Agency, pointed out that the Beacon Towns award did not preclude innovative developments in other areas. "The spotlight on Barnard Castle and Middleton might also be able to focus on other initiatives such as renewable energy, local food initiatives or young peoples' projects," he added.

Mr McKnight said that to be one of the first towns in the country to be awarded the special beacon status was a great accolade. "The dale will benefit from enhanced access to specialist project development assistance from the agency," he added.

"Our Market Towns Initiative, already considered by many to be highly successful, can now aspire to even greater achievements."

Richmond's theme was heritage and the beacon work is based on realising the potential of the town's heritage assets, improving access and making the most of economic, cultural and community development opportunities.

The work will build on the Swale Valley Initiative, a major study into how Richmond's heritage can play a part in the town's regeneration. Results of the study were published earlier this year.

Richmond town manager Colin Grant said, "To be selected as a national flagship market town is excellent news. The Richmond Swale Valley Initiative has been the first study in the country to look at how heritage assets can help market town recovery.

"We now have an enormous challenge to turn the many good ideas in the study into reality," he added. "Beacon town status puts the national spotlight on Richmond and is an enormous boost to the initiative and the town."

The mayor, Coun Stuart Parsons, echoed his sentiments, saying the award confirmed Richmond as an wonderful place to live, work and play. As a beacon town it set an example to other market towns. Although it had experienced bad times, it was able to demonstrate what could happen when the community pulled and worked together.

The beacon town project in Whitby will help it develop as a model for tourism, building on the needs and opportunities identified in a "health-check" and subsequent action plan.

Richard Wakeford, chief executive of the Countryside Agency, said, "Demonstrating ways to tackle the problems rural communities face, and learning from and sharing the results, are the core of the agency's work.

"These beacon towns will act as test beds and provide opportunities to try different approaches to problem solving and new ways of doing things," he added.

"They will provide examples and experience that other towns can use, as well as informing national and regional policymakers about ways to regenerate our market towns."