REDUCING congestion at the Norton level-crossing, giving careers advice to young people, and schemes to address local skills shortages will all be beneficiaries of district council funds, it has been agreed.

The ideas were discussed at a meeting of the policy and resources committee on Thursday night.

The council has around £60,000 left from the so-called Ryedale Development Fund available for reallocation.

This Fund was a £370,000 pot of money which was ringfenced in 2013 from the council’s ‘New Homes Bonus’ - money given to local authorities by Government to incentivise housebuilding.

The Fund was split into four work strands, including the Ryedale Employment Initiative, the RDC Apprentice Scheme, the Ryedale Business and Skills Initiative and Ryedale Major Projects.

Councillors unanimously agreed on Thursday that £25,000 left over from the major projects strand be reallocated to enhance parking at Malton railway station and measures to reduce congestion at the Norton rail crossing. This work would be delivered before 2020.

They also decided that £35,334 left over from the employment initiative strand should be reallocated to support careers advice for young people through the council’s ‘Opportunity Knocks’ events, as well as programmes which address the skills shortage in the area.

The council’s report drew particular attention to the commencement of the York potash mine, which it says will “further contribute to the demand for skilled workforce locally.”

Cllr Luke Ives said: “We are putting the economy at the heart of what we are doing. We are investing in future infrastructure and we are putting jobs first.”

Forest attractions in Dalby Forest - including new bike trails, concert facilities and the growing dry-stone maze - may also be in line for support from the district council.

The committee discussed the possibility of adding the forest schemes to the Ryedale Economic Action Plan 2016-20 - the council’s policy and prioritisation of economic projects which was adopted last April.

The councillors decided the proposal should be looked at again after a further report back to the committee.