Flourishing town centres are vital to local communities and to the Huntingdonshire economy, a leading councillor has said.

Councillor Ryan Fuller, deputy leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, spoke out as the authority unveiled its bid to extend its "masterplan" scheme district-wide.

The scheme is designed to boost market towns and make it a better place to live, work and invest.

Huntingdon, St Ives and Ramsey are set to get masterplans following on the heels of St Neots where the process started in 2017.

Stakeholders from the market towns gave their input on the long-term future of the district at a workshop hosted by the council, in partnership with Metro Dynamics, and feedback from the meeting will be used to help draw up prospectuses for each of the towns.

Cllr Fuller, who is also executive councillor for housing, planning an economic development, said: "Creating prospectuses for growth for each of our market towns is the next step in delivering our manifesto commitment o support the local economy an reinvigorate our market towns.

"Our town centres are changing, with increased competition coming from online, discount retailers and out of town shopping."

Cllr Fuller said: "However, vibrant and flourishing own centres are vital to our local communities and to the Huntingonshire economy.

"The masterplan process will help to secure increased investment and support or market towns in adapting so that they continue to be attractive places to live, work and invest."

He said they had brought together stakeholders from across the district to help in producing the masterplans, focussing on the individual needs of each town, and that the meeting had been "incredibly successful".

"It is vital that that this collaborative work continues to ensure that the masterplans produced will not only be successful but also provide sustainable long-term economic growth across Huntingdonshire."

The authority said that no two of the market towns were the same which is why they needed their own masterplan. It is working with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, using analysis from specialist consultants, to draw up the masterplans which are designed to drive sustainable economic growth.