Extra support planned to identify investment needs of more than 30 communities

Locations across North Yorkshire are to be given extra support amid plans to allocate more than £1.2m to identify their investment needs.

The proposals would see the funding used in a co-ordinated approach to promote sustainability as well as revitalising communities by bringing key groups together to identify those needs for each area.

A total of 32 towns and key centres which provide services to hundreds of thousands of people are set to benefit from the funding.

North Yorkshire councillors will be asked on 6 May to approve a £1.2m grant from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to support the project.

A total of 32 towns and service centres have been identified for plans representing more than 376,000 residents – 61 per cent of the county’s population.

The plans will be developed around a framework of key themes including providing workspaces, revitalising town centres, improving travel options, regenerating cultural and heritage assets, and reducing health inequalities.

Executive member for open to business at North Yorkshire Council, Councillor Mark Crane, said: “We see these town investment plans as a way to connect our towns particularly those that are often in deeply rural locations.

“They will be used to engage with residents, stakeholders and local businesses to understand key issues and opportunities in their areas.

“Each area has its own character, but they all share the same issues and challenges and these plans will provide the means to shape their futures.”

Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, added: “The high streets are changing, and we need to stay flexible and forward-thinking to keep pace and help our communities thrive.

“High streets form a central place for our communities to come together, especially in our more isolated areas.

“Providing better access, will be key to unlocking our region’s economic and social potential, creating vibrant spaces for us all to live, work and visit.

“We are all well aware of how diverse our region is, but our towns have common challenges that impact our economy, travel, environment, and health.

“To counter these, we need to drive investment into our towns’ infrastructure, which is why I provided over £1m to support these plans.

“I look forward to seeing how North Yorkshire Council use this funding, and the positive impact it will have on our region.”

The programme will run over a three-year period from May 2025.

The 32 locations it will cover include: Bedale, Bentham, Boroughbridge, Catterick Garrison and Colburn, Easingwold, Eastfield and Cayton, Filey, Grassington and Threshfield, Harrogate, Hawes, Helmsley, Ingleton, Kirkbymoorside, Knaresborough, Leyburn, Malton and Norton, Masham, Northallerton, Pateley Bridge, Pickering, Richmond, Ripon, Scarborough. Selby, Settle, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Skipton, South Craven, Stokesley, Tadcaster, Thirsk and Whitby.