A MINING village's park is to be restored with landfill tax credit money.

Horden Parish Welfare Park is getting £20,000 from the County Durham Environmental Trust (CDent) for tree restoration, planting and landscaping to help restore the park.

The eight-hectare site, which opened in 1929, has suffered since Horden pit's closure in 1986. CDent's funding is part of a £1.5m regeneration project by the Horden Revival Partnership.

The parish council has developed a management strategy with money from the Heritage Lotteries Fund.

This includes restoring traditional wrought iron gates, creating two play areas, revamping the bandstand and turning the ambulance house into a community building and caf.

Georgina Beckinsall, the park's development officer, said: "Transforming the park will provide a lasting monument to the area's mining tradition and create a facility that is once again a focal point for the community.''

The partnership is looking to secure most of the £1.5m needed for the scheme from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Restoration will be complete by the summer of 2005.

John Wearmouth, chairman of CDent, said: "This is the first step of an exciting project that will enable the park to regain its position as a true focal point."