AMBITIOUS plans to breathe new life into the heart of Herriot Country have been unveiled - and public opinion is needed to take the initiative forward.

Details of the first community projects to be approved by the newly-formed Thirsk Regeneration Initiative will be unveiled at a public exhibition later this week.

The campaign to revive the economic fortunes of the market town is being funded by Yorkshire Forward to the tune of £300,000 over the next three years.

And the first 15 projects - which are aiming to bring about community, lifestyle, artistic and environmental improvements - will be displayed in the Golden Fleece Hotel between Saturday and Monday, before moving to the Three Tuns Hotel from Tuesday, March 19, to Friday, March 22.

One of the first projects to receive funding will be the purchase of a computer system and marquee to help promote Thirsk Festival.

Festival chairman Derek Gardiner said: "The computer and marquee will be used throughout the whole year and will be a huge benefit to the organisation of the festival and our promotional activities."

It is expected that funding will be available to assist this year's festival, which will be held between July 6 and 14.

A youth cafe, the employment of a town centre manager and the creation of a rural events showground are also in the pipeline.

Regeneration initiative committee chairman Lindsay Ross, managing director of Thirsk-based design build company, Severfield-Reeve Projects, said members had thought long and hard about which schemes to approve.

"We hope that people will visit the exhibitions to see what schemes will go ahead in this first year of the initiative," he said.

"In doing so they should remember that the initiative has a three-year life and that these initial schemes are for the first 12 months only.

"We would welcome further suggestions for projects that can be considered for years two and three. The more ideas we are given, the more successful the initiative will be."