A BLUEPRINT to boost jobs and businesses around Settle aims to transform the area.

A list of ideas drawn up to foster commerce in the town combined with the existing attractions of the Dales, the Three Peaks and the Settle to Carlisle Railway could make Settle a more attractive place for "high spending" tourists - vital to the local economy.

Residents will have a chance to comment on the plans at an exhibition entitled Living & Working in Settle, to be held at the Victoria Hall, Settle on December 7.

The ideas, drawn up by the Chamber of Trade, include establishing a mail order business for farmers producing high quality niche food products; boosting the number of wet weather attractions available to visitors, particularly children, during the inevitable summer downpours; cultivating young entrepreneurs at Settle High School through educational initiatives and working with the authorities to provide affordable housing and business premises, which could slow down the drain of school leavers moving out of the area and give them somewhere to develop their ideas.

It also includes plans to create a rural trades register and a farmers' hub, which would provide a central point of information and business support for the farming community.

Other innovative ideas include the setting up of 'hothouse' and 'greenhouse' business development centres for new and established businesses and the establishment of the 'outbox', a marketing and logistics centre to provide local businesses with access to national and international markets through the internet and mail order.

Plans for the development of Settle's town centre are also covered, as are marketing and communication ideas on the development of the area's 'brand'.

In recent years, according to the Chamber of Trade, the town has suffered a "general business decline" with shops and services falling by the wayside.

Surviving businesses suffer from low profits and consequently pay low wages yet there is no affordable housing for employees.

Now the Chamber is attempting to tackle the problems and striving to make Settle more prosperous with more opportunities for young people, existing businesses and farmers.

It has published the hefty 48 page document, "Turning Opportunities into Action", identifying the area's weakenesses and coming up with solutions which would turn Settle into a place with thriving businesses, offering higher salaries, affordable housing and quality tourist attractions.

The chamber believes this is the recipe for success and has consulted widely with all interested business parties within the Settle community. In creating the plan, eight meetings were organised, attended by more than 160 interested parties, and a further 38 individual one-to-one meetings were arranged.

The project also builds on the considerable work and research previously completed by the Settle Community Investment Prospectus steering group.

The business plan strives "to create an achievable three year business development action plan, taking into account environmental and community issues, which encourages entrepreneurialism and enterprise, especially in the young, delivers the aspirations of existing businesses and attracts compatible business migrants to the area."

Work has already commenced on several of the other projects outlined in the plan, such as the setting up 'clusters' of associated businesses.

Steve Finch, chamber of trade business development officer, said: "The ideas in this document have been carefully thought out to provide the tools for a long-lasting renaissance of the Settle area. All the items have been designed to integrate into a sustainable package and it is now up to the community at large to grasp the numerous opportunities the plan offers."

A copy of the plan is available in Settle District Library and in the Settle Tourist Information Centre. A loan copy can be obtained from Steve Finch at the chamber's offices in Settle Town Hall.