THE final phase of a £160,000 street enhancement and regeneration scheme in Barnard Castle could play a big role in boosting trade, business and council leaders said yesterday.

Workers will move in on Monday to complete the improvements of Thorngate from its junction with Thorngate Wynd to the River Tees.

The work is expected to take about five weeks to complete and will be carried out by Service Direct, the construction arm of Durham County Council.

The final phase will complete more than a year's work around the Thorngate area of the town, which began in February 2002 with repaving work between Thorngate Wynd and the Blue Bell pub, and the creation of a seating area. Victorian-style lanterns were also put on the existing lampposts to improve the look of the area.

In August last year, the second phase of improvement work got under way, with the county council team setting new paving along part of the east side of Thorngate.

The work also included renewing kerbstones and installing ornamental bollards in the area.

The final phase of the programme is the most costly, with the £80,000 going towards the creation of tree grills and seats, more cast iron bollards and further paving.

Bill Oldfield, chairman of Teesdale Marketing, which represents the business community in the dale, welcomed the improvement works and said it could prove a vital plus for the town's future prosperity.

The restaurateur, who lives in Thorngate, said: "Anything that improves the way the area looks in both Barnard Castle, Middleton-in-Teesdale and across Teesdale, can only be a good thing.

"There are a number of parts of Barnard Castle that have been in need of improvements to enhance the appearance of the town, and this could be a great help to improving visitor numbers and trade in Barnard Castle."

Funding for the improvement work in the town has been provided by Durham County Council, English Heritage and Teesdale District Council.