COUNCILLORS have pledged more cash support for rural businesses.

Members of Hambleton District Council's cabinet have approved a grant of £10,000 for the Business Solutions - Bedale agency and have agreed to put pressure on Business Link to give the agency a franchise to deliver services branded under the Small Business Service.

Business Solutions - Bedale is part of North Yorkshire Business Services (NYBS) which covers Scarborough, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Pickering and Helmsley.

When that was created following the development of the Small Business Service two years ago, staff from existing agencies were expected to be transferred to it.

That did not happen and Business Solutions - Bedale has been acting as sub-contractor for the service in the Hambleton area.

The council's head of economic development, Mick Jewitt, said: "Business Solutions - Bedale has not only demonstrated that it can deliver a quality service, but its client lists are growing all the time.

"Repeat business is also an important part of the work. We want to see this service maintained on a local level by splitting the NYBS services to create a unit to service Hambleton and Richmondshire."