A EUROPEAN funding scheme which has provided £5-million to help South Devon and Dartmoor communities has been praised for its success.

The South Devon and Dartmoor Leader II programme ends next month after a four-year funding scheme cycle. Programme manager Check McEwan, described the scheme as 'a £5-million community success story'.

Over the last four years, the fund has supported 85 main fund projects, worth a total of around £5-million to assist the development of small businesses, community groups and parish councils.

The scheme has also assisted projects promoting tourism in the region.

Mr McEwan said the bottom-up approach of the Leader II programme had resulted in many communities proposing, developing and running locally- based projects, many of which would not have taken place if the resources of the various public authorities had to provide the money.

'The value of this method of funding has been proved through the success of all the leader projects within the South West region,' said Mr McEwan.