Scheme to breathe new life into ailing city centre area

Officials and councillors hope the project in and around North Road will give a boost to one of the city's busiest gateways.

The road, which has largely been made one-way to traffic, will be resurfaced, and will have new, wider flag-stone pavements, new street furniture and lighting.

Money will also be made available to improve and repair buildings and shop fronts to brighten up the area.

Today and tomorrow, an exhibition explaining the proposals to the public will be held in North Road Methodist Church, Durham, between 10am and 4pm.

Some locals say North Road has suffered because of development in other parts of the centre that has attracted business away, and that it has become a street of charity shops.

Durham City Council and Durham County Council hope the North Road Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme will boost the area's economy and encourage new investment.

The regeneration area will also include Crossgate, Allergate, Neville Street and Tenter Terrace.

English Heritage is providing £60,000, the city and county councils are giving £15,000 for conservation and building, and the county's highways department is handing over £300,000.

Tracey Ingle, principal design and conservation officer with the city council, said: "It is a road that needs assistance, and we are delighted that we have a scheme which can do that.

"Through building repairs and streetscape improvements we hope to increase business confidence and keep the buildings in good condition.

"Part of the problem is there have been various changes in the city centre that have been driven by new development. Durham needs new shopping blood to survive, and that has pulled the focus away from North Road."

She added that the design work was at an early stage.

The exhibition was a way of "engaging with local people and businesses" to create a scheme to fit with their needs.

"We are hoping for as many people as possible so we can share our ideas and listen to their views," she said