A MAJOR town improvement scheme in North Yorkshire has been praised for its efforts and has picked up a top local award.

The Bedale Heritage Partnership Scheme won the business and economy category of the Yorkshire and Humber Market Town Awards.

They competition is run by Action for Market Towns and it forms part of the National Market Town Awards.

They are run to reward those who have worked hard to make a difference in their local community with a series of projects.

The Bedale scheme is made up of Hambleton District Council with groups such as Bedale Town Council, English Heritage and local residents.

The group has carried out several projects within Bedale to give it a boost economically and in terms of visitor numbers.

Mark Haynes, delivery manager of the district council, said: "A lot of people have put a lot of time into this and it’s good that they have been given the recognition for it.

"We applied for the award but there was quite a lot of people up for it and we didn’t know we were going to win it and we were very pleased."

The partnership has undertaken many schemes in Bedale such as improving shop frontages and for turning a former garage at Bedale Hall into a children’s centre.

It has also helped to promote a Bedale heritage trail walk and has worked to turn empty space into new used spaces.

It was given a framed certificate by Action for Market Towns for its achievements.

The Yorkshire and Humber Market Town Awards were held last week in The Ritz cinema, on Westgate, in Thirsk.

The all day event saw visitors tour the cinema which is run by volunteers and which is held up as a success story by the awards team.

Incredible Edible Tormorden was named the overall winner of the Yorkshire and Humber Market Town Awards.

The partnership and strategic working category was won by Wallingfen Way, East Yorkshire, a project trying to solve community issues in Driffield Community Street Survey won the social and community category for its work improving its locality.