WORK on one of the most controversial developments in Darlington in decades will officially get under way next week.

Contractors are moving into the town centre to begin work on a £6.5m pedestrian heart project.

Birse Civils Ltd will be creating the new pedestrianised areas from Monday, starting in Blackwellgate and Bondgate.

The initial work will involve preparing the ground for new paving to be laid. Businesses in both areas will remain open throughout the developments.

Councillor David Lyonette, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: "This is an exciting project and it is good that construction work is now starting to create the pedestrian heart.

"We are doing everything we can to minimise disruption, but we know the following months will be challenging.

"This is a huge scheme and we appreciate that the coming year is going to be difficult for businesses, especially now construction work is getting under way.

"In the long-term, the pedestrian heart will benefit the local economy and we would ask people to be patient while the work is ongoing."

Major changes to the town centre traffic systems have already been made, with bus stops moved and services re-routed.

However, the alterations have come in for heavy criticism from both bus passengers and business owners, who claim they have suffered a major drop in trade.

The impending loss of Victorian features on High Row has also been condemned in several quarters.

In a statement yesterday, the council's Conservative group said it opposed the "wholesale dismantling of Darlington's heritage".

Tory councillors said they feared the town having a "Milton Keynes style of architecture".

Businesses and traders who have comments on concerns about the construction work can contact the project's public liaison officer Tim Bowers on 07970 125381.