THE final £30m of funding for the biggest regeneration scheme ever undertaken in County Durham was announced yesterday.

The payout is the last installment for a multi-million pound scheme designed to breathe new life into the seaside town of Seaham.

The future looked bleak for the coastal community when the deep coal mines, which had formed its economic back bone for more than a century, closed in the early 1990s. But its new dawn has come in the shape of a regeneration scheme which will see more than £70m invested in the town and surrounding area.

While there has been some delay in securing the final funding, the breakthrough everyone has been waiting for came yesterday.

It was revealed that the development agency One NorthEast had joined forces with Durham County Council, the District of Easington and Seaham Harbour Dock Company to deliver the final piece of the regeneration strategy.

The £30m hand-out will enable the redevelopment of the town centre for retail, commercial, leisure and residential uses.

The investment will create and safeguard more than 440 jobs as well as providing housing and commercial accommodation. The main elements of the redevelopment of Seaham town centre include:

l The relocation of Seaham Harbour Dock Company

l The redevelopment of the former dock site for retail commercial, leisure and residential uses

l The construction of a road connecting Dawdon to the town centre, enabling direct access to the A19 via the recently completed A182 link road.

One NorthEast has secured £12.5m from English Partnerships to invest in the town centre over the next decade.

The agency's chief executive, Mike Collier said: "The town centre is an essential element in the regeneration of Seaham and the East Durham area."

Councillor Don Robson, the leader of Durham County Council, which is putting £5.64m into the highways and bridges elements of the scheme welcomed the announcement as "great news".

The managing director of Seaham Harbour Dock Company, Mervyn Blades, said their relocation to a 8.71 hectare site north of Dawdon would offer an integrated road, rail and sea distribution centre, matched to excellent storage facilities.

The display will be on show in Seaham Town Council offices and Dawdon Miners' Welfare Social Club from today to August 28, and at Seaham Library from today until August 25