AN INNOVATIVE video link scheme to improve council contact with the community is being piloted across County Durham.

Video equipment will be installed at community centres in Wear Valley, Teesdale, Sedgefield and Derwentside, enabling residents to come face-to-face with council officers.

The five centres chosen to initially lead the way in the initiative are the Resource Centre, in Willington; West Cornforth Community Centre; the Voluntary One Stop Shop, in Stanley; Evenwood Community Centre; and Craghead Village Hall.

Talks have been held with the centres and all involved are working towards the final arrangements, hoping that everything can be up and running as early as next month.

Alan Hodgson, director of customer services at Durham County Council, is leading the scheme, which could be extended to the whole of the county if it is a success.

He said: "This is about improving people's access to the services offered by their district councils.

"There are a number of councils involved, and all the five centres we have talked to think it is brilliant. People will need a helping hand to use it, at first, but it will be easy once they get used to it.

"Obviously, its success will be judged on whether people want the service and come into the centres to use it.

"If it is well used, we will then want to run it at locations throughout the county.''

The technology could open the doors of communication to members of the community who may find travelling to their local district offices too difficult, including people with young children, the elderly and the disabled.

County Councillor Brian Myers, who is also chairman of Willington Community Partnership, one of the pilot hosts, said he welcomed the scheme.

He said: "This is going to bring the local authorities closer to the community, which is the aim of the Government.

"People in deprived areas do not have the money to spend on bus fare to get to their local council offices, and this is giving them the opportunity to go to their local centre and contact the council without spending that money.''

The initiative has been put together by the County Durham E-Government Partnership, which includes Durham County Council, Derwentside, Teesdale and Wear Valley district councils and Sedgefield borough.