Keighley is to be given its own champion to fight for a fair share of £280 million of Euro cash.

The full-time officer will help local businesses and organisations apply for regeneration grants from the Objective 2 fund.

He or she will also help them find the matching funding from other sources that is necessary in order to release the European cash.

Objective 2 is likely to bring around £42 million to Bradford district over the next seven years for initiatives such as creating jobs, raising skills, supporting business growth and improving communities.

The money will only be available to the most rundown areas of the district, including Keighley South, Keighley West and Craven.

The £60,000 cost of employing the Keighley funding officer for three years will initially come from the town's £18.7 million Single Regeneration Budget.

SRB bosses and local councillors felt it was vital to have an officer dedicated to fighting Keighley's corner rather than relying on the council's regeneration officers based in Bradford.

Keighley councillor John Prestage says: "Keighley is nine miles away from Bradford. Why should people in Keighley have to travel there to meet officers?"

He says there is a good chance the cost of the officer will eventually be met from the Objective 2 fund itself.

Objective 2 funding has been available to parts of Bradford for several years and has brought £100 million to the city.

Keighley was brought into the Objective 2 map following lobbying by Bradford council and the Government.

Several South Craven villages, including Cross Hills, Cowling, Glusburn, Bradley, Cononley, Kildwick and Farnhill are on the map as part of a North Yorkshire rural development area.

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