NEW life is to be breathed into a busy city centre street in Durham, in a £350,000 enhancement scheme.

Work begins on Monday on the first phase of the development, designed to re-invigorate North Road.

The joint project, being carried out by both Durham county and city councils, is partly funded through English Heritage grant aid.

The scheme is aimed at giving quality and making more permanent temporary arrangements introduced two years ago affecting pedestrian and traffic flow.

Stage one will run for about 12 weeks, concentrating on the lower stretch of North Road from Milburngate to Neville Street. It will comprise installing wider pavements, reducing the carriageway width and replacing existing concrete flags with new Yorkshire paving, kerbstones and setts behind the kerb to provide loading and unloading areas during permitted periods.

New crossing points on narrow stretches of carriageway will make life easier for pedestrians. Cast iron bollards will be strategically placed to deter vehicles from mounting the pavements, while new street lights will run along the full stretch of the road, from Milburngate to North Road roundabout.

Work will take place overnight and on Sundays over the coming three months to avoid unnecessary disruption.

As part of the scheme similar improvements will be made in surrounding thoroughfares, including Neville Street, Allergate and Crossgate.

Chris Tunstall, Durham County Council's director of environment and technical services, said the project would help to make North Road a more pleasant environment for all users.

"This is the first phase of a scheme which will not only provide pedestrians with a better and safer surface to walk on, but it will ultimately enhance the city centre's conservation area status.

"It will be followed by a second phase which will involve further improvements from the bus station to the North Road roundabout."

North Road has often been regarded as one of the city centre's 'forgotten' streets and recently came in for criticism at Durham Crown Court for late night rowdyism related to the local night spots.