PLANS to create more than 40,000 jobs across the region have been boosted by a cash injection of £636m from regional development agency One NorthEast.

About £158m of the funding, known as Single Programme, has already been earmarked for projects in the Tees Valley, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, during the next three years.

The rest of the £636m will be spent by One NorthEast on schemes key to the region as a whole. These include projects such as Strategy for Success, a £200m science and innovation programme helping to establish five scientific centres of excellence.

During the next three years, the agency hopes to create 40,000 jobs, create or attract more than 3,500 businesses, reclaim 430 hectares of brownfield land and create more than 50,000 learning opportunities. The agency's four sub-regional partners, made up of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors in the Tees Valley, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, have already been given the go-ahead to spend £158m during the next two years on a variety of schemes.

The strategic partnership in the Tees Valley will receive £39.5m, County Durham £34m, Tyne and Wear £65.8m and Northumberland £18.8m.

In the Tees Valley, Middlesbrough Football Club is the focal point of a £600,000 project for the development of an enterprise academy to develop entrepreneurial skills among 11 to 19-year-olds. The sub-regional partnership is also investing about £1m in the development of Pioneer Process Park to help attract small-scale chemical manufacturers.

Tees Valley Partnership chairman Alistair Arkley said: "What is important is that the decision of One NorthEast to show confidence and trust in sub-regional partnerships is a great boost to the strength and unity of the region and its ability to create a modern and vibrant economy."

In County Durham the funding will focus on The NetPark Institute on the former Winterton Hospital site in Sedgefield, currently being developed as a regional centre for technology development.

It will offer facilities and dedicated business support for knowledge-based companies. One NorthEast is contributing £2.61m to the total cost of £4.65m.

The money will also be used to breathe new life into six of County Durham's major urban centres, which will see £25m pumped into Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Durham City, Seaham, Spennymoor and Stanley during the next five years.

Up to £12m of that funding could come from the Single Programme, with matched funding from a wide variety of sources including contributions from the county and district councils and the private sector.

The investment will fund improvements to ensure their long-term economic and social viability.

Brian Walker, chairman of the County Durham Partnership's executive group, said: "One NorthEast's funding will be matched by funding from other sources to bring the total amount to £62.8m. This creates a marvellous opportunity to continue the work we are doing and the partnership expects it to lead to 3,000 jobs, the re-use of redundant industrial land and buildings and job-related training to ensure that local people are able to take up the opportunities created."

In Tyne and Wear, the opening of the Fabriam Centre, in the Atmel building, on North Tyneside, will be backed by £431,000 of One NorthEast funding. The £1m centre will house technology-based businesses and support services.

In Northumberland, the funding will focus on Blyth quayside, where more than £20m has already been spent on offices and workshops, created social housing, and improved access roads.

Mike Collier, chief executive of One NorthEast, said: "The partnership plans will bring real benefits at a local level which interlock with the larger regional projects being directly handled by the agency."