A MULTI-MILLION pound project is being planned to help wildlife and communities make more of the River Tees.

Environmental regeneration charity Groundwork North-East is carrying out a consultation process, asking local residents and organisations how they use the river and what they would like to see improved.

Once the consultation is complete and Groundwork knows what sort of projects people would like to see take place, it hopes to submit a £2m bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

If the application is successful, it is hoped that the Tees Corridor would begin by late 2013. It would cover an 88sq km stretch of the river and its banks, from Teesmouth to Piercebridge.

Groundwork is working with a number of local partners on the project, including local authorities as well as community groups and organisations.

As part of the consultation, it is asking people what they use the river for, and if not, why not. They are also consulting about what people feel is important about the river and what things they would like to see improved.

Penny Maughan, senior project officer for Groundwork, said the scheme would focus not only on the wildlife aspect of the river but on the people and heritage and what it was used for.

She said: "The river's had a lot of different uses, but we want to see the connection all the way.

"We want to collate all the information that we get and then use that to get more people using the river.

"It's a very broadbrush consultation at this stage and we're gathering people's views.

"There may be things we're not aware of that we can help with."

If Groundwork gets the grant, it envisages that the scheme will last about five years, with the money distributed evenly along the length of the Tees Corridor.

A consultation is taking place on Friday on board the Teesside Princess. It will begin at 9.30am at Castlegate Quay, in Stockton, then travel to Preston Park to arrive at 11.15am, before heading to Yarm for noon. It will then return to Preston Park at 12.45pm and Castlegate Quay at 1.45pm, with the consultation ending at 3pm.

People are welcome to visit and complete the questionnaire or can travel on the boat for free.

Further consultations will take place at Hurworth Grange Community Centre next Wednesday and Thursday, December 6 and 7, between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

Alternatively, people can fill in the questionnaire online at surveymonkey.com/s/vxx356l