NEWS that Otley is to get £1 million towards its regeneration is fantastic. It is also testimony to all the hard work put in over the last few years by people dedicated to the future of the town.

It is to the credit of the town partnership, and others, that it did not lose faith after Otley lost out in the first round of the Market Towns Initiative - and even more so after it looked increasingly unlikely it wouldn't benefit - because it did not fall into the right geographical area.

But with the help of MP Harold Best, who lobbied Yorkshire Forward and took representatives to the successful Otley business park, at Otley Mills, the town has now won through and will receive its biggest investment for 25 years.

It will mean the implementation of the Otley Town Centre Action Plan. Put together by the partnership group and the city council, the only thing the plan lacked was the finance to put it into action.

Now the money is in place, people in Otley - and the surrounding villages, because the initiative means the regeneration of the rural community with the market town at its heart, can look forward to positive changes. It is also a welcome boost after last month's announcement by Sainsbury's that it was pulling out of the town centre supermarket plan.

Like many other traditional market towns, Otley is fighting for its future. Long gone are the days when people in the rural community automatically came into Otley to do the bulk of their shopping.

Out of town supermarkets, hypermarkets and huge retail shopping complexes have seen to that. The latest announcement at least means that the town can try to improve its chances of existing in a modern world and at the same time hang on to its traditional image.

Well done to all those who put in the hours and who now see their efforts coming to fruition.