A MASSIVE injection of funding for a Darlington town centre scheme has been given the go-ahead.

The regional development agency, One NorthEast, has approved a £3.25m investment in plans to pedestrianise the heart of the town.

This could help pave the way for the future development of a shopping complex in the Commercial Street area.

But the news was announced during a special meeting in which Conservative councillors called in the scheme amid concerns about its impact on the town's heritage.

The Tories later urged residents to continue to voice their fears, pledging full support for those with concerns about the details of the ambitious project.

Council leader Coun John Williams branded the Conservatives "out of touch".

The cash will enable work to begin on pedestrianisation early next year, and to be completed by 2008.

The One NorthEast money is part of a £6.5m funding pot, put together with partners Darlington Council, the Department for Transport and private investment.

The agency has already put £275,000 into the scheme for design fees.

One NorthEast chief executive Alan Clarke said: "Development of the town centre is an integral part of the Darlington gateway strategy seen as one of the key economic regeneration programmes of the Tees Valley.

"This funding will allow Darlington to develop as a major North-East retail centre, boosting local businesses and improving the town centre environment.

"The high quality scheme will enhance the viability of Darlington as a town for further inward investment."

One NorthEast is channelling its £3.5m through the Tees Valley Partnership, which will help deliver the project.

The partnership's Tees Valley investment plan has spotlighted investment in Darlington as a priority, using the town as a gateway to the region and critical to attracting inward investment to a wider area.

Alistair Arkley, Tees Valley Partnership chairman, said: "Enhancing Darlington town centre is a key element of the gateway project.

"It complements the kind of investments we are seeing in developments such as Central Park and Faverdale and it should boost the image of Darlington and indeed the whole Tees Valley area, both in terms of new investment and attracting more visitors."

Coun Williams said: "This is great news. It means the exciting plans that we have to regenerate our town centre can now go ahead."

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