A SCHEME to breathe life back into a run-down area of Gateshead is in line for a national award.
The £5.8m Bensham and Saltwell Regeneration Scheme, run by Gateshead Council, has been shortlisted in the British Urban Regeneration Association (Bura) awards.
The council launched the scheme in 1997, after complaints by residents about the area's decline and problems with anti-social behaviour.
Since then, the regeneration scheme has helped upgrade 200 buildings and find work for 500 people.
Councillor Frank Donovan, chairman of the Bensham and Saltwell Partnership, said: "It is flattering to be nominated for such a prestigious award.
"I am delighted for the hundreds of local people who have been working with us to regenerate our area."
Bura will announce the award winners at a ceremony in November.
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