THE three market towns of Pickering, Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley should press to become part of the Market Town initiative being promoted by the Countryside Agency, according to Pickering's town clerk, Andrew Husband.

He told Pickering Town Council it was vital the councils representing the three towns should urge Ryedale District Council to push forward the case for action to benefit them under the Government-pioneered initiative.

He said Pickering Council was telling the agency that it had made an initial commitment that it should be part of the initiative. A meeting was to be held shortly with Sam Swinbank, of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council, in the hope of progressing the matter, because at present the agency had said Pickering was not eligible for funding to carry out a parish plan because it was prioritising smaller rural parishes with a population of 3,000 and under. "This means that the £5,000 which the town council intended to draw on to administer the town plan, is no longer available," said Mr Husband.

Councillors backed suggestions from Coun Judy Dixon the deputy mayor that a proposed resource centre in Pickering could include an arts craft room, a community dark room for photographers and a local history archive.

Tributes were paid to Ann Robertson, wife of former long serving town councillor Richard Robertson, who died last week. Councillors said she had been a popular and hard working person, especially when she was the town mayoress when her husband was the mayor.

Updated: 09:57 Monday, March 24, 2003