PLANS for a major town centre revamp are forging ahead as the designing of shop fronts and landscaping get under way.

Ideas for the regeneration of Spennymoor were discussed at a recent town forum meeting where Sedgefield Borough Council updated traders on the project's progress.

Work on cleaning up the town's image is already well under way with phase one of the task almost complete.

Principal design and conservation officer at the council, Bill Kataky, showed detailed plans of what had been done and what was to come, at a recent meeting.

He told traders that two shop fronts - Broadway Caf, on Cheapside and Fletchers, on the High Street - had already been redecorated.

He said that work to improve the footpath link from the leisure centre to the town was also going well with half of it already completed.

So far, the footpath that runs under the leisure centre squash courts has been widened and new paving laid down. This is to make the link safer for shoppers to walk down.

Posts have been put in place for a steel and glass canopy which will have lighting.

Mr Kataky told traders that he had already entered talks with Mackays, Hayes Travel and Martin Currington Estate Agents about the revamping of their shop fronts. The former Oxfam store, which will be taken over by Robinsons Estate Agents, has also been earmarked for a make-over.

Traders were also asked their opinion on designs for the high street roundabout, which will be seen as the "gateway to the town centre".

About £141,000 has been spent on revamping the town and work will continue over the next three to five years.

Sedgefield Borough Council will be putting in a bid to regeneration agency One NorthEast for £1.5m to £2m over a three-year period to help finance further work.