A GOVERNMENT minister has come to Teesside to inspect a once run-down High Street which is undergoing refurbishment.

So-called High Street Minister, Penny Mordaunt MP, a junior minister at the Department for Local Government, met members of Stockton’s Town Team to see how the town centre is progressing.

In 2012 Stockton was chosen by shopping guru Mary Portas as a ‘Portas Pilot’ town and the Town Team, a group of shopkeepers and enthusiasts were granted £92,000 of Government cash to help breathe new life into the centre.

Work began on a Stockton Borough Council-funded £20m town centre refurbishment in the same year and there has also been substantial investment from the private sector.

The final stages of the physical regeneration are now nearing completion. These include creating a public space in the central part of the High Street incorporating seating, grass, feature lighting and a water feature.

Mrs Mordaunt said: “The Town Team has a clear vision for making Stockton a distinctive and vibrant place to shop and work, and this Government is giving them the tools to make it a reality.”

Leader of Stockton Council Councillor Bob Cook said: “We have recently introduced parking on the High Street which is making it easier for people to visit the many and varied independent businesses which are establishing themselves in the town."

Joanna Wake from Stockton Town Team, showed the minister around Stockton and said: “The initiatives we have carried out using the Portas funding have helped to showcase all that our town has to offer."