THE man behind two major urban regeneration projects in the region is moving on.

Chris Oldershaw, is stepping down as executive director of TyneWear Partnership (TWP), to take up a similar role in Gloucestershire.

Mr Oldershaw led the Stockton City Challenge initiative and was the driving force behind Newcastle's award winning Grainger Town Project. He joined TWP two years ago.

Partnerhsip chairman, Chris Thompson, said: "It has been a pleasure working with Chris.

"His professionalism and knowledge of communicating with and managing a large stakeholder group has been invaluable in taking the work of the TyneWear Partnership forward."

TWP is a sub-regional partnership, established to further the economic regeneration of Tyne & Wear. Its three year plan will see £120m spent in five priority areas: The Discovery Quarter in central Newcastle, Gateshead town centre, the A19 Corridor, Sunderland arc and the Tyne Gateway project for North and South Tyneside.

TWP said it would not be advertising for a new chief executive until it learns where it will fit into John Prescott's Northern Way initiative, a drive to bridge the North-South economic divide.

Bob Lawrence, former chief executive of North Tyneside Challenge, has agreed to provide interim consultancy support to the executive team.