A £5.2m initiative that will revitalise the River Wear and create new jobs was launched at the weekend.

The Mineral Valleys Project will make some of the river's beauty spots more accessible to the public while improving conditions for wildlife and fishing. It is being led by English Nature with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It was launched on Saturday as one of the first tasks got off the ground at the ancient flood meadow, known as Jubilee Meadows in Willington.

Willington Community Partnership celebrated the start of the £600,000 regeneration scheme with partners Groundwork West Durham and Wear Valley District Council with an open day.

Coun Brian Myers MBE, chairman of the community partnership, said that the project is a dream come true for villagers.

He said: "I think this is terrific. It means that the area is going to be more accessible for everybody in the village including the elderly and disabled. It is going to be somewhere that people can enjoy for generations to come."

The area has been prone to flooding in the past and improvements have already been made to the entrance of the meadows with willow walls and standing stones, which will ease flooding and prevent vehicle access.

Senior project worker Kay Mills, of Groundwork, said: "This is all about celebrating the local heritage and improving access while making the most if its natural beauty.''

Jubilee Meadows is the first of five projects in the area. A new nature reserve will be created at Harehope Quarry, Frosterley; wetland habitats will be created linking West Auckland and Ramshaw and a wild wetlands scheme will transform a sewage treatment works at Low Barns Nature Reserve. Work will also be done at Durham Coalfield and the River Gaunless.