PLANS have been launched that will see millions spent on north Durham to improve life for residents.

The Derwentside Community Strategy, published this week, aims to tackle five areas -health, crime, the economy, education and training, and housing and the environment.

Peter Hanley, from the Government Office North-East, launched the strategy at a meeting in the Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley.

He said: "The district has had some very hard knocks over the years, with the demise of the coal and steel industries.

"Derwentside has shown that it is very resilient and can bounce back. Responding to the challenges of the community strategy is simply a continuation of that process."

The strategy was created by the Derwentside Partnership, a group made up of representatives from the public, business and community sectors, who came together in 2001 to look at a long-term plan for improving the district.

The 93-page document gives targets that must be met by 2010.

Over the next two years, the partnership will release more than £4.4m of Neighbourhood Renewal Fund grants to help them achieve their objectives within the most deprived wards.

For health, the targets include cutting deaths from coronary heart disease and strokes in the under-75s by 40 per cent, and having more than 70 per cent of the population taking part in regular exercise.

Dr Anne Low, chairwoman of the Health Improvement Group, said: "We have major inequalities in health between Derwentside and the rest of England and Wales.

"Not only is there a big gap, but there are also inequalities in health across the various wards of the district.

"This is caused by issues related to income, education and employment.

"If we are going to address those inequalities, we need to address all the things that determine good health."

The district has one of the worst records in the UK for business start-ups, but the Economic Development Forum plans to rectify this, with a focus on helping to foster e-business.

Targets for cutting crime and disorder include reducing burglary by five per cent and the fear of crime by ten per cent, within the next 12 months.