LISKEARD was given a boost this week, with the announcement that it has been selected to host a national convention for market towns next year.

The news means that between 200-400 delegates from throughout the UK, plus any accompanying family, will be descending on the town between 21-22 September 2001. They will be staying in hotels and guest houses etc within a ten mile radius of Liskeard, and the resulting publicity and economic spin-offs should provide a real boost for the area.

There are 900 market towns throughout the UK, Liskeard one of 400 belonging to the 'Action for Market Towns' group. Earlier this summer a Liskeard Forum sub-committee put in a bid to host the 2001 convention - this year's held in Ripon. By June Liskeard had been put on a shortlist of 22, and by September l members knew they were in the final three. The welcome news that they had been selected ahead of the two other contenders, which included Bath, has only just been released.

Current sub-committee chairman, Dawn Austin, said it would be the first time the event had been held in South West. She felt that, with the regeneration of the Parade, new plans for Webb's Hotel, and a survey being undertaken into the local Cattle Market, the year 2001 would be ideal for a Liskeard convention. She hoped that it would lead to a 'feel good' factor running throughout the town, and put 'life blood' into Liskeard.

Funding of £13,000 has been promised for the weekend, this coming from Cornwall county council, PROSPER, SWERDA and Caradon council, and support has been given by local groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, MAFF, Duchy College and the NFU.

The Action for Market Towns group will organise the first day, while the sub-committee will arrange the programme for the second. Subjects put forward for discussion include farmers markets, town centre regeneration, the Bodmin Moor project and superstores etc - with workshops and talks also to be arranged. There will be a visit to the Eden Project, and Tim Smit from the Project is to be one of the speakers. Items on the programme will be held at centres such as Stuart House, the Guildhall and Foresters Hall.