MORE than £680,000 of National Lottery funding has been handed out to create 70 new sports pitches in the region.

The money will be shared by 15 schools, sports clubs and councils, with all new pitches protected for at least 25 years.

King James I Academy, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has been awarded £42,450 to redevelop two disused playing fields, creating high-quality pitches for community and school use.

Headteacher Nick Grieveson said: “We are delighted to receive this funding.

“It will make a massive difference, not just to the pupils but to the community.

“We expect the work will be completed by Easter.”

Redcar Town Football Club has been given just over £40,000.

Vice-chairman Graham Todd said the money would be used to develop spare land into training pitches.

He added: “It’s going to save a lot of aggravation and hard work, and means we won’t have to train on the match pitches, which churns them up during the winter.”

Skelton Castle Cricket Club, in east Cleveland, has received £50,000 to install drainage to its outfield.

Longfield Academy, in Darlington, has received £50,000 to improve its facilities. The school recently submitted plans for £2m sports hall and five enclosed and floodlit community tennis courts as part of a package of improvements for the school.

The improvements will allow the club to offer additional practice areas for the club and provide space for the local junior and senior football teams to play during winter.

Sport England’s Protecting Playing Fields fund is part of the £150m Places People Play legacy programme that aims to build on the success of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Every sports facility that receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark.

Richard Lewis, Sport England chairman, said: “Thanks to these investments, generations of young people in the North-East can look forward to playing sport on great sports pitches.

“Playing fields are vital sporting resources for local communities so it’s vital that we provide both investment and protection.”

Nationally, 163 projects have benefited from a total of £7.8m of investment from the three rounds of Protecting Playing Fields funding.

Among the projects in the North East to receive funding offers of between £20,000 and £50,000 are:

• £42,450 - King James I Academy, Bishop Auckland.

• £50,000 - Skelton Castle Cricket Club, east Cleveland.

• £28,922 - North Tyneside Council.

• £49,997 - Allendale Cricket Club, Hexham.

• £50,000 - Longfield Academy, Darlington.

• £22,712 - Northumberland County Council.

• £50,000 - South Park Rangers Junior Football Club, Middlesbrough.

• £40,814 - Redcar Town Football Club.

• £50,000 - Seahouse Junior FC, Northumberland.

• £49,196 - New Marske Football Club, Redcar.

• £50,000 - South Bank Community Football Association, Middlesbrough.

• £50,000 - Redcar Rugby Football Union Club.

• £50,000 - Ryton Rugby Football Club, Tyneside.

• £50,000 - Stockton Borough Council.

• £50,000 - Gateshead Council.