The regeneration of a Darlington estate will soon be in full swing, with the building of more than 400 homes and a £1m community centre.

But for residents of Firthmoor, many smaller projects to improve the environment are just as important. Sam Starngeways visited the estate

A RARE crested newt is not the first thing you might expect to see if you visit Darlington's Firthmoor estate.

For the past ten years, the area has been better known for its crime and deprivation than its wildlife habitats.

But Firthmoor is changing and the newt, to be found on a nature reserve where houses once stood, is one of the first outward signs that this is an estate on the up.

Another is the Barratt Homes office, constructed in the centre of the estate last week, which advertises the two, three and four-bedroom homes which will soon be built there.

Apart from the new homes, replacing those demolished by Darlington Borough Council, a £1m community centre will be built. A £2m primary school has just opened.

By this time next year, the residents behind the regeneration of Firthmoor hope there will be even more to celebrate, including a village-style green, a dog walking park and three fishing lakes.

"Slowly, but surely, we are getting there," says resident Dave Preston, a member of Firthmoor Community Association and the estate's regeneration partnership board.

"We got around £3m from the Single Regeneration Budget and with that we are trying to change things dramatically on the estate."

There are 17 projects running on Firthmoor, all involving local people and aimed at improving the environment.

The Doorstep Green scheme, to be partly funded by the Government's New Opportunities Fund, is one of the most impressive - a plan to totally transform Holmgate Moor Green.

"It is one of only 200 schemes in the country and it's like a village green, but in an urban setting," says Mr Preston.

"We want to make something that people can enjoy and get them mixing with each other."

The green will include a sensory garden, separate toddlers' and children's playing areas, a seating area and a footpath.

Elsewhere on the estate, work has already begun on an area known locally as the "backlands".

This stretch of grass, which used to flood regularly, will become a dog-walking park with kissing gates which allow disabled access but keep out off-road motorcyclists - still a problem on the estate.

Another issue has been children fishing in a pond overhung with electricity lines. The residents' solution? To create three fishing lakes within the nature reserve and encourage bored youngsters to use them.

"A lot of youngsters who are into petty crime are also into fishing," said Mr Preston.

"We want to deter them from using the dangerous pond but still give them somewhere to go.

"Children are not the problem on this estate. They are never the problem. But you need to give them something to do."

Eventually, the residents hope to connect all the regeneration sites.

Many of the schemes are being implemented by Firthmoor Association for Community Enterprise (Face), which only employs people from the estate.

Mark Fabb, community enterprise officer, said all the projects had been decided in consultation with residents.

"This regeneration is everything we wanted. It is about empowering individuals on the estate to take control and make decisions for themselves," he said.

"We have had a lot of bad press over the last few years," said resident Kristina Pryor.

"What we want now is to promote Firthmoor for what it really is, a fantastic estate."