A £600,000 town square which symbolised the rebirth of a rundown railway community has earned a planning award.
The square in Shildon is the centrepiece of a £17m regeneration programme led by Sedgefield Borough Council.
Council leader Brian Stephens and former chief executive Allan Roberts instigated the project seven years ago, and £2m has been spent boosting business in the town centre alone.
The square is dominated by a 6ft statue of railway pioneer Timothy Hackworth. Since it was installed, Shildon has been chosen as the site for a new National Railway Museum, which should attract thousands of visitors every year.
Yesterday, Chris Offord, past chairman of the northern branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute, presented certificates to the Mayor, Councillor Dave Newall, and Shildon Chamber of Trade chairman Brian Stoker.
The borough council's lead member for regeneration, Councillor Bill Waters, said: "Approximately £2m has been spent on the improvement works and, with the co-operation of the local community, Shildon Town Centre has once again become a thriving shopping area after the closure of its main industry, the wagon works, in 1984."
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