Research into market towns will help to target cash aid

The research aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of individual towns to determine which of them are most in need of help.

Hambleton District Council is to undertake the studies in an attempt to win cash under the Market Towns Initiative, a joint project run by Yorkshire Forward and the Countryside Agency.

The first wave of the scheme, earlier this year, saw the twin towns of Malton and Norton awarded about £340,000 to develop and implement an action plan over the next four years.

A further 12 towns in the Yorkshire and Humber region will be chosen to take part over the next two years.

Hambleton planning director Steve Quartermain said it was reasonable to assume that each district could expect to have at least one town assisted.

He said it was a significant project for the district, as it was not restricted to Government or EU priority areas.

He said: "Steps should be taken to identify which of the district's market towns should be put forward.

"A process needs to be established which will arrive at an agreed priority."

Studies will be carried out in Northallerton, Thirsk, Bedale, Easingwold and Stokesley to determine which should be put forward.

Economic development chairman Peter Brown said: "We want to be part of this scheme and we have to weigh up what the needs of each town are.

"We need to work out which town will most benefit from help and we can only do that by taking all the individual factors into account.

"We owe it to the people of Hambleton to do the best we can and make a good case and win some money."

The initiative will allocate £10,000 for initial consultation work and putting together an action plan, £25,000 for administration, £300,000 to fund projects and £5,000 to assess the results of the scheme.

The studies are expected to be completed within the next few months and the towns chosen to take part in the second phase of the initiative will be announced next year