What M.T.I was...

The Market Towns Initiative (M.T.I) has been a pilot scheme led by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire & the Humber. The M.T.I aimed to reinforce the role of market tows as local service centres for residents, local businesses and the surrounding rural hinterlands. A total of 12 towns across Yorkshire & the Humber have been a part of the scheme.

How Penistone M.T.I came to be...

M.T.I funding was brought to Penistone through the hard work and championing of the area by a group comprising Penistone residents, business people and councillors that would go on to become the Penistone Market Town Initiative (P.M.T.I) Steering Group. An action plan was developed, based upon community and agency consultation through the Planning for Real method and a Charette Report. This action plan attracted £340,000 of funding; all which has been used to deliver projects between April 2002 and March 2005. The Steering Group has met on a monthly basis, with most of their members volunteering their time in order to contribute; and the projects have in turn attracted over £750,000 of match funding into Penistone

Key Successes...

The Initiative will create 16 businesses, 42 learning opportunities and the equivalent of 4 full-time jobs.

The initiative will spend £344,369.01 on a programme of 15 projects with a total value of £1,095,340.66.

For every £1 the initiative has invested, £3 of match funding has been secured.

The Steering Group has contributed over £7,500 in-kind support and Lavender International over £2,000 private in-kind support.

Fore more information on what M.T.I has achieved please see the projects section.