A neighbourhood manager is to be appointed for Stockton.

The manager will be one of three charged with reviving the fortunes of three North East communities.

Regeneration Minister Sally Keeble announced the new stage of the £45m Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders scheme during a visit to the region last week.

The other areas singled out to benefit from the reshaping of key services to suit residents' needs include Derwentside and Easington.

The neighbourhood managers will help link the public, private and voluntary sectors to improve local services and quality of life for residents.

Announcing the next stage in the scheme, Ms Keeble said: "Neighbourhood managers will make a real difference to the community by providing a one-stop service for residents' needs. They will refocus local services around the priorities of the neighbourhood.''

The new phase will open the door to £1.5m of funding during the next three years for each neighbourhood manager to start meeting the needs of residents.

Pathfinders in Derwentside and Stockton are among 12 which will be able to access funding from next Tuesday.

The Easington scheme is among eight in the country to have been given more time to fine-tune their delivery plans to give the programme the best chance of success.