THE region's first national museum has won an award for its environmentally-friendly construction months before it is due to open.

The £10m Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon, has been officially recognised by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for its use of sustainable materials.

Locomotion received an ERDF grant of £2.522m, which was spent on a number of environmentally-friendly materials including a photovoltaic roof, which will generate electricity, gabion walls, a wind turbine and a rainwater harvesting system.

Its award for innovation was presented at a Showcasing Success event celebrating a range of Objective 2 projects in County Durham.

Objective 2 provides grants for projects that promote economic regeneration in areas facing structural difficulty.

Chris Allender, head of management services at the NRM and project director at Locomotion, said: "We are delighted to receive this award which acknowledges the work we have done attempting to become a sustainable organisation.

"The Locomotion project has allowed us to develop new ideas and materials, which we will interpret in the displays to visitors."

Museum manager George Muirhead accepted the award on behalf of Sedgefield Borough Council. He said: "Railway museums are often just about engines and pistons but at Locomotion we are also interested in how the railways impact on human lives.

"We have tried to reflect the human interest in the construction of the museum. With sustainable building materials, we will bring pleasure to future generations without damaging the environment."

Published: 17/04/2004