WIDE-RANGING improvements to sports facilities have been promised as part of a far-reaching initiative.

The five-year leisure strategy has been drawn up after a comprehensive consultation exercise with groups involved in sport and the arts in Hambleton.

The strategy puts forward a series of objectives including new floodlit football pitches in Northallerton, upgraded tennis courts at Bedale, new facilities in Great Ayton, a sports hall for Easingwold, and improvements to the sports hall at Stokesley.

The strategy has been put together by Hambleton District Council and aims to set out improvements which the authority wants to see made by 2005.

Leisure chairman Susan Latter said: "The strategy covers a wide area - not just sport and leisure but cross-cutting themes such as health improvement, crime reduction and environmental improvements.

"This plan is a leisure plan for the whole of the district. Vital to its success are the partnerships we have forged with schools, the voluntary sector and even the commercial sector.

"By working together we believe we can provide a better service in the years to come," she said.

The strategy sets a target of producing a feasibility study on a floodlit pitch in Northallerton by next April, working with the Allertonshire School and North Yorkshire County Council, as well as sports clubs.

Access to sports provision in Bedale is also cited for improvement, with the council aiming to look at upgrading the tennis courts.

The authority is also committed to working with Stokesley School over improving indoor sports facilities, with the option of rebuilding or refurbishing the sports hall, and improving play facilities for children.

Great Ayton has also been singled out as a priority, with research on the need for sports facilities in the village to be carried out by November.

A feasibility study is also due to be carried out for a new badminton court sports hall at Easingwold and the council will look at providing an indoor bowls centre in the district.

The strategy sets out targets for increasing the number of people involved in cultural activities and work to help voluntary arts groups secure lottery funding for development projects