OUR market town revival campaign was given the best possible news last week with official recognition of the need to help small towns in Yorkshire.

The £340,000 average sum to be offered to six market towns to assist regeneration initiatives is a massive shot in the arm for those who have been campaigning to highlight the threat modern shopping patterns pose to the traditional centres of trade in rural areas.

The six will be identified later this month. They will undoubtedly be towns whose future prosperity is most at risk from the forces which have affected all small towns over the last 20 years.

But at least 12 other towns are to be assisted by this multi-million pound initiative, jointly promoted by the Countryside Agency and Yorkshire Forward, over the next few years and the question is, which towns will benefit?

The initiative's backers are looking for communities which have already recognised that their future good economic health cannot be taken for granted. They are looking for towns which have already taken some steps to set up partnerships to protect and enhance their communities. Richmond and Ripon are perhaps better placed than most in this regard but there is still time for other towns in North Yorkshire to demonstrate they can

Those towns still scratching heads as to what should be done need to get their acts together quickly. The partnerships between local chambers of trade and local authorities need to be established and joint objectives set.

This initiative is a golden opportunity which the market towns of North Yorkshire cannot afford to miss.