AN area of a village in Teesdale is to be rejuvenated thanks to more than £80,000 worth of investment.

The area surrounding the Community Centre in Toft Hill, near West Auckland, will be transformed after receiving four separate funding packages.

Sure Start has given £20,000 for improvements around the community centre in the village. It means a garden for mothers and their children can be created on an unused patch of grass.

A door, which will open out from the community centre into the gardens will be installed thanks to a £5,000 grant from the Awards for All scheme.

Meanwhile, £25,000 from Durham County Council's Urban Rural Renaissance Initiativewill then be spent on installing bollards and speed restrictions along the main street, along with building a bus shelter.

Last year, a pupil from Toft Hill Primary School, which is opposite the community centre, voiced concerns about the traffic problems in the village to Tony Blair.

After six-year-old April Clark wrote to the Prime Minister, she was promised traffic calming measures on the busy A68 road which runs between the school and the community centre.

A further £25,000 has been received from the County Durham Environmental Trust to build seating, a wildlife area and improved footpaths in and around the recreation ground, which lies next to the community centre.

Most of the work will begin on the projects in the spring, but the garden for mothers and children may be started as soon as next month.

Tim Rounce, senior project officer for Groundwork, which has worked with the parish council to secure the funding, said: "It's very exciting because this is an area we've not worked on before. Once we have completed these projects, they will help us put other things in place and we can look to pursue other improvements."

Martin Clark, chairman of Etherley and Toft Hill Parish Council, said: "Everyone is very excited about the projects - both the parish council and the community centre group. The plans have taken two years to sort out, so it's great to finally get there.

"The changes to the centre will be a real boost for the community because it means we can offer things we haven't have been able to in the past."

Teesdale district councillor for Toft Hill Adrian Moore said: "I'm absolutely over the moon that we've finally managed to secure funding and that the projects can finally go ahead and come into fruition. It should be a real boost to everyone in the area, provided the facilities are looked after. We have to make sure they aren't vandalised."

He added: "This doesn't mean we'll stop looking for improvements now. If we can go after more funding then we certainly will."