THE first phase of a £1m scheme to improve bus links to some of Darlington's estates will get under way next month.

Earlier this year, the Government awarded Darlington £1,070,000 under the Urban Bus Challenge project, which aims to help deprived areas and tackle social exclusion.

Darlington Borough Council secured the funding to meet requests from Firthmoor and Red Hall community groups to set up direct bus links between the estates and the town's main areas of employment, shopping and leisure centres, and health centres.

Darlington's grant was the largest share of the £18m available nationally.

The first phase of the project will see buses operating every half hour on new routes to link Red Hall and Firthmoor to Morton Park, Yarm Road, Albert Hill and the Eastbourne Sports Complex.

Nick Wallis, the council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "We have now finalised routes that will provide people in some of the most deprived parts of the town with much-needed access to work, shopping and leisure facilities.

"This scheme has the potential to improve the quality of life for many people."

The next phase of the project, to link the Red Hall estate with the town centre, Faverdale and Darlington Memorial Hospital, is to be launched in November.

The scheme will include extending the times of the number 17 bus service and increasing its route between Darlington Memorial Hospital and Faverdale, and between The Broadway and Whinbush via Red Hall.

The Government funding included £260,000 to buy four, fully-accessible buses for the route and £270,000 to operate the routes.

The money initially comes from council funds and then it is reclaimed from the Government's Urban Bus Challenge.

Areas that will benefit from the project are seen as some of Darlington's most deprived - unemployment benefit is claimed by 9.1 per cent of Firthmoor estate residents.

Red Hall also has few local facilities and residents have to travel for shopping, employment and leisure.