Sedgefield could soon have an officer dedicated to looking after nature reserves.

At the end of last year, Sedgefield Borough Council made a bid to English Nature for funding through its Wildspace scheme.

The council proposed sites which qualified for declaration as nature reserves, including the Dean and Chapter spoil heap at Ferryhill, Castle Eden Walkway, Ferryhill Carrs, Shildon Millennium Green and Woodham Burn.

Most of the sites are near areas with high levels of social and economic deprivation.

The borough council's executive committee will be told on Thursday that the bid for funding has been successful. English Nature will contribute £53,000 towards the cost of employing a full-time local nature reserve officer over three years, plus £21,000 for capital expenditure.

The council will be asked to make a contribution of £7,000, out of its regeneration capital programme.

Members will be asked to accept the offer, which is conditional on the authority declaring at least three sites and establishing "friends" groups for each one.