AN AMBITIOUS bid to win £39m of funding to turn around a deprived former mining town was launched on Monday.

A report by Derwentside District Council director Mike Clark lays out bids for cash from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund for a range of projects aimed at breathing new life into Stanley over the next ten years.

This includes redeveloping the King's Head playing fields, building a Sure Start centre, a new library and a new festival site, plus boosting the town's CCTV coverage.

Council leader Alex Watson said: "This money is crucial to the regeneration of Stanley. We are optimistic that we will be successful with the bid, next year if not this year.

"The potential is there and the vision is there. Areas like the King's Head playing field are marketable sites and we know there is a lot of interest from developers.

"There has never been any doubt in my mind that Stanley will be turned around as this interest increases."

The council aims to use the cash to create and safeguard about 1,300 jobs each year, combat crime and reduce urban decay.

All three are big problems to overcome. The Havannah Ward of Stanley has the highest crime rate in Derwentside. The town as a whole is in the top 11 per cent of the most disadvantaged areas in England.

Car ownership is 40 per cent below the national average and the amount of vacant retail outlets is 11.12 per cent, more than 2per cent higher than the UK average.

The first step in the plans to regenerate the town is under way, with a bid for £2m from County Durham's Urban Renaissance Programme.

This would help to fund a £10m wish-list of projects, including £3m to redevelop the bus station, more than £3m to overhaul the Hustledown House site and £2.5m to improve Front Street.

Smaller schemes include £750,000 to refurbish View Lane Park, £300,000 earmarked for a community resource and IT centre and £200,000 for signs and gateway improvements.

The successful bids will be announced in February.