A RUNDOWN area of Darlington is to be restored to its former glory after the council's bid for an English Heritage grant of more than £250,000 was successful.

The Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme will provide £90,700 a year for the next three years to help pay for improvements in the Northgate area.

The money will be matched pound for pound by Darlington Borough Council, taking spending in the area to over £500,000.

Businesses between Central House and High Northgate bridge will now be asked to apply for a share of the cash to brighten up and restore the conservation area of Victorian and Edwardian buildings..

Coun David Lyonette, cabinet member for regeneration and planning, said: "It's good news for the town. We were confident that our bid would be successful, but now we've had the green light we can look forward to working with property owners in Northgate and High Northgate to unlock the immense potential of the area."

The money will mainly be used as grants to help property owners carry out building repairs, re-instate original architectural features, improve shop fronts and transform empty space above shops into new homes and businesses.

Owners will be able to qualify for up to 60pc of the cost of approved building works.

The council's detailed plans on how it would like the money to be spent will be launched in the summer.

All property owners in the High Northgate and Northgate area will be contacted prior to the launch so they can prepare bids.

* Villages in Teesdale and Weardale have also won a grant of £120,000 over three years from English Heritage.

The cash will go towards helping businesses with building repairs and reinstating original architectural features.

The bid covers 15 conservation areas in Teesdale and 13 in Wear Valley, with the aim of reviving the traditional appearance of the dales' villages and encouraging the flagging tourist trade.