A MEETING will be held in Okehampton in the next two weeks to discuss how the town will take forward a regeneration initiative.

This follows an announcement that it is to benefit from a multi-million pound cash injection from the Government.

Okehampton and its hinterland was identified by the South West Regional Development Agency as one of the seven market towns in Devon to receive up to £1 million cash.

The money for these towns, which have all been hit hard by the foot and mouth crisis, will help to create new job opportunities, restore high streets, improve local transport and encourage local people and businesses to get involved in building better communities.

The Market Towns Initiative is a South West Regional Development Agency project but each town regeneration scheme will be community led.

A spokeswoman from the South West RDA confirmed that a meeting would be held in Okehampton in July and from that a local regeneration committee would be formed.

'We will be working in association with the local community and town and parish councils and the group which will be taking the project forward will be made up of a broad spectrum of people,' she said.

The group will draw up a regeneration strategy looking at what is required to rebuild their town and area.

At a meeting of Okehampton Town Council on Monday Town Clerk John Winchester said this was a real opportunity for the community.

'We have a vision for Okehampton here — something that will bring jobs, better transport and a better quality of life,' he said.

'We will be looking very strategically and thinking laterally about what Okehampton has in the future.'

Mr Winchester and mayor of Okehampton Christine Marsh paid a recent visit to Torrington, a town which has been very successful in drawing down funds from Europe and other sources for tourism initiatives.

'We thought it would be a good idea to talk to the Community Development Trust in Torrington to see how we can learn from them,' said Cllr Marsh.

'Everything is about match funding these days and it could be that we can increase that £1 million to £2 million.'