A MAJOR effort is being planned to boost the economic fortunes of North Yorkshire over the next few years.

Job creation agencies hope to capitalise on the work of a York initiative which has proved spectacularly successful since it was launched in the late 1990s.

It is being proposed that the remit of the existing York Inward Investment Board (IIB) be expanded, creating a new county-wide service to bring new businesses to the area.

The York board was set up six years ago and is regarded as a major success after bringing about 60 companies and 2,000 jobs to the city.

Its biggest coup was in encouraging card protection company CPP to set up in the city - where it now employs about 1,000 people.

Research has identified a need for a similar service for the county as a whole and the county council is working closely with the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and the City of York Council on the matter.

The county's director of business and community services, Gordon Gresty, said: "This would enable the county to capitalise on the knowledge and expertise of the York IIB while providing York with a more varied offer to inward investors."

He added: "There are areas in the county which we feel would benefit from a more dynamic approach to getting businesses to settle there."

The work of the board involves, among other things, identifying potential sites for businesses, marketing nationally and internationally, assisting with relocating and providing services to "smooth the wheels".

It is led by chief executive Frances Done - who last year headed the team behind the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

An initial three-year funding package is proposed for the new, expanded service. York itself would put in the lion's share - £200,000-a-year - followed by Yorkshire Forward with £100,000 and the county council with £30,000.

The plan is expected to be given the go-ahead next week and the service could start operating by October. Balances held by the York IIB would be transferred to the new organisation as working capital.