AN EAST Yorkshire town is set to receive a major makeover.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) and the Weighton Area Regeneration Partnership (WARP) have been granted funding for a three-year scheme to improve Market Weighton. The project will include the restoration and refurbishment of historic buildings in the core of the Market Weighton Conservation Area.

The Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme was launched at the town's Londesborough Arms by ERYC chairman Coun Mary-Rose Hardy and WARP chairman Andy Burton.

The project will bring in £240,000 worth of grants from ERYC, WARP and English Heritage over three years to restore buildings centred around Market Weighton's High Street and Market Place.

The aim is to improve the condition of the town's historic buildings and bring them back into use while maintaining Market Weighton's distinctive character and heritage.

An ERYC spokesman said: "The scheme is looking to reverse the decline in the condition and appearance of buildings within the Conservation Area, particularly those which are vacant and under-used. The scheme is not just about offering grants for repairing buildings.

"It takes an holistic approach, targeting the worst buildings, those which are vacant and in poor condition and those that have been poorly altered in the past."

He added that the initiative, which is expected to generate more than £500,000 of investment in the town, will maximise the use of buildings, opening them up to be used for housing or office space.

He said: "Many commercial buildings make little use of the rear areas or upper floors which can provide for commercial uses such as office space or for town centre housing.

"The scheme is seen as a major opportunity for Market Weighton, which will hopefully kick-start investment in the built fabric of the town. The success of these partnership schemes elsewhere in the Yorkshire region is testament to the impact they can have on small towns."

The project has been modelled on the success of a similar scheme at Howden, which, over the last nine years, has transformed derelict buildings into new shops, offices, flats and houses in the centre of the market town.

Updated: 08:53 Friday, June 13, 2003