A FACELIFT for the centre of Chester-le-Street will leave townsfolk 'surprised' at the result, a council official has pledged.

Work begins next year on the £2m regeneration, making Chester-le-Street the first of six towns in County Durham to benefit from a £13m five-year Urban Centre improvement scheme.

Regional development body One NorthEast is behind the scheme to boost the economy of the towns involved, overseen by the County Durham Economic Partnership.

In Chester-le-Street a designer has been appointed to highlight the town's Roman and industrial heritage.

The Market Place will be redesigned and streamlined. Some of the present 232 stalls will be axed to prevent the market looking empty.

It is hoped to create a more specialist market, with arts and craft stalls.

Part of the 'civic heart,' project also involves creating a focal point for the town, in front of Chester-le-Street Methodist Church, where artwork, seating and a space for venues such as concerts can be created. There are also plans to clean up woodland in the town and create more paths through the Great North Wood.

There will be improvements around the approach to the railway station and the surrounds of the new hospital, while the scheme will also include the development of a heritage trail.

Tom Watson, the district council's planning services manager, said: "It's a regeneration of not only the town centre, but all the surrounding areas as well.

"The market will survive, but with a reduction in the number of stalls.

"There will be the creation of a new civic heart, which I'm sure will come as a surprise to many people."

Mr Watson said Chester-le-Street was once the county capital, prior to the development of Durham, and has historic roots in the Roman, Viking and early Medieval Christian eras, which will be reflected in the heritage trail.

He added that work should begin shortly after the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Over the course of the five years, similar sums will be invested in Bishop Auckland, Durham, Seaham, Spennymoor and Stanley. If it proves successful further funding could be attracted to extended the project to include Peterlee, Newton Aycliffe, Consett and Shildon.