AN historic part of East Cleveland has received more than £1m to help preserve its heritage and attract more visitors.

The Skelton Townscape Initiative received the Heritage Lottery Funding for archaeological exploration of the village, as well as developing a a Mosaic Trail.

The initiative has been developed by Skelton Villages Civic Pride in partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and the £1.02m from the HLF will form a significant chunk of the £1.5m to be spent on the project.

The scheme will take the group look at improving the appearance of Skelton's public spaces, in a bid to boost visitor numbers to the village and its businesses.

Remaining funding for the initiative, approximately 30 per cent of the £1.5m required, has been sourced from local businesses and the council's East Cleveland Investment initiative.

The archaeological digs and the development of the Mosaic trail is being supported by volunteers.

Now that funding has been secured, detailed proposals are being developed and will be ready by September. Work will start between January 2016 and December 2018.

Cllr Mark Hannon, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “We are very pleased that the Skelton Townscape Initiative has been successful in securing Townscape Heritage Initiative funding as this is just reward for all the hard work put in to the project so far by all parties.

“Now, we can look ahead to the project getting underway and ensuring Skelton gets restored to its former glory and gives local businesses a boost.”

Joyce White, from Skelton Villages Civic Pride, said: “We are so pleased that HLF are supporting us in our efforts to increase awareness of the rich wealth of history and heritage in Skelton, and to restore and preserve the family businesses on our High Street. The resulting extra custom will ensure the independent traders remain and that Skelton residents retain their local shopping facilities with our High Street remaining the vibrant hub of our community.”

Ben Greener, HLF’s Regeneration Adviser said: “Regeneration involves transforming places. Heritage is often central to this process, whether in the form of restoring a much-loved landmark or refurbishing boarded-up buildings.

“We believe that historic townscapes such as Skelton Villages are the beating heart of local places. Past Heritage Lottery Fund research shows that even small changes, such as improving shop fronts or restoring a building’s historic features, can make a real difference.”