PLANS to preserve and celebrate the North-East coastline have been awarded a major lottery grant.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced it is giving £2.9 million towards the project which will deliver 30 coastal projects between South Shields and Teesmouth.

As well as improving beach access, the £5 million Seascape scheme will chart underwater wrecks, create ‘snorkel safaris’ in the North Sea and produce a virtual reality wreck diving experience.

Eric Wilton, general manager with the National Trust, one of the project partners, said: “We’re particularly excited by the undersea wreck surveys.

“Because this is a soft rock coastline, water clarity isn’t as good as it is around Northumberland’s Farne Islands, for example.

“As a result, we don’t know as much as we should about our heritage beneath the waves.

“Most people don’t know that porpoises, dolphins and even humpback whales are seen off our coastline”.

The area was an important First World War shipping channel.

Mr Wilton said: “Keeping this open for shipping was vital to the war effort and local fishing fleets acted as mine sweepers. We know there are wrecks from this era off our coast”.

Heritage Coast officer Niall Benson said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this major new grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It’s going to enable us to deliver fantastic new projects under the Seascape banner that will excite local communities and visitors alike.”

The Seascape project will begin with an 18-month development period beginning in January 2018 and followed by a four-year delivery period.

Plans include the reintroduction of the small blue butterfly, construction of a new educational facility and the creation of a two-year trainee programme for eight individuals in natural, built and cultural heritage skills.