BUSINESSES on a thriving industrial estate are being urged to join forces to tackle issues they all face.

Hambleton District Council, in North Yorkshire, hopes to establish a business forum for occupiers of the Thirsk industial estate in the New Year.

So far, more than half of the 55 companies on the site have shown an interest in the idea and an initial meeting is expected to be held in January.

The forum would operate in a similar way to organisations covering industrial estates at Leeming Bar and Stokesley.

They bring together more than 50 businesses and organisations for regular meetings and allow issues of common interest to be raised and discussed.

At Leeming Bar, the forum carried out a crime survey and has overseen the formation of a business watch scheme. It has also secured additional landscaping for the estate.

At Stokesley, forum members identified a collective problem with outgoing mail and, as a result, the estate now has its own post box. It has also seen speed restrictions introduced on the main access road.