THE historic quarter of Middlesbrough is to be preserved for future generations thanks to a £750,000 National Lottery grant.

The Heritage Lottery boost means some of the town's most historic buildings, around Queen's Square and the railway station, will be renovated.

Under the Townscape Heritage Initiative project, owners and interested parties will be encouraged to protect buildings in the area.

To raise the profile of the quarter and support work being carried out a Historic Quarter Forum is also being set up in the New Year.

In this, the traditional commercial centre of the town, several buildings have been converted to new uses, but others still badly need renovating.

At the project launch, Councillor Ron Lowes, Middlesbrough Council's executive councillor for the environment, said the £750,000 would be used to cover the cost of essential repairs and renovations.

He said: "The owners of these buildings are the custodians of the town's history and it is vitally important we give them support to ensure they are not lost to future generations.

"This was once the commercial heart of Middlesbrough, but its buildings have changed in character and how they are used.

"Some buildings have found new uses - the Cornerhouse was formerly Winterschladen's and Faulkner's Bar was previously the Yorkshire Bank.

"However, there are several buildings, or parts of buildings, which need to be renovated for new uses."

As part of the project, Middlesbrough council is also employing a dedicated conservation officer to drive the improvements forward.

The project is due to take about five years but discussions with property owners are hoped to press for improvements to take place in the next couple of years.

Works already approved include new paintwork, a pedestrian canopy and feature lighting on the Albert Road railway bridge.

Coun Lowes said: "The area is important in heritage terms but also to Middlesbrough's future. It is the natural pedestrian gateway from the town centre to Middlehaven and will become a strategic link between the two.

"That means its vital long-term future is secure."