Darlington is gearing up to bid for its share of £169m of National Lottery money set aside by the Government for disadvantaged areas.

The Fair Share initiative, announced this week, is a joint Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund scheme.

It will ring-fence the money for 62 areas across the UK which have not received their fair share of Lottery cash.

Details of the bidding have not been announced, but Lottery grants will be made from the funds for projects that are aimed at improving the environment and local neighbourhoods.

Darlington Borough Council is to appoint a lottery officer, who will start work next month, with the task of bringing more National Lottery funding to the town.

Councillor David Lyonette, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: "Over £6m of Lottery money has already come into Darlington, but we recognise that we have not had our fair share of funding. It is an issue we are about to address. The lottery officer will work as part of our economic regeneration team, with the task of working with local partners such as the CVS (Council for Voluntary Services), who already do a lot of work in this area, to maximise the opportunities for attracting Lottery cash."

The council bid successfully for £35,000 from the Lottery for the Skerne Park Childcare Centre and is waiting to hear if other bids for high-profile developments in the town bear fruit.

It has bid for £3.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to refurbish South Park and expects to hear if it has been successful next month.

The authority has also put in two bids, totalling £550,000, for the Firth Moor Community Association and the Firth moor Partnership for the Firth Moor Community Initiative Centre, as part of a scheme to regenerate the area.