RURAL towns and parishes are being beseiged by regeneration initiatives, Helmsley Town Council was told.

Town councillor and local landowner Lord Feversham said Action for Market Towns (AMT), the new Market Towns Renaissance (MTR), and Community Investment Prospectus were each being targeted on towns such as Helmsley.

"The government seems incapable of having one rural policy and instead spews out initiative after initiative," he said. "We don't know which avenue to pursue."

The council deferred a final decision on joining the new AMT for Yorkshire

and the Humber, launched last week at Thirsk, pending a meeting being held in Helmsley on the MTR, when members of the regeneration team will be in the town to meet community and business leaders.

Lord Feversham said: "We should go along and see what they have in mind and encourage them to spend it in Helmsley".

Coun John Buffoni said it was vital that towns provided quality facilities to attract visitors, but he warned against Ryedale District Council imposing high car parking charges when Hambleton District Council had free parking in such places as Thirsk and Northallerton.

Lord Feversham added "We have always said that people lost out to the Hambleton towns. We are bled white because RDC sees parking as a big money earner".

A planning blueprint for Helmsley is essential, the council agreed. However ,manpower would be needed to bring it to reality, said Lord Feversham.

Coun Martin Van Der Weyer said it was important that Helmsley residents and the town authority had control of the overall plan.

Updated: 12:07 Wednesday, November 26, 2003