WORK to create a nature reserve in the North-East is to begin later this year.

Proposals to develop a 270- hectare wetland nature reserve, near Billingham, Teesside, were unveiled yesterday by Teesside Environmental Trust (Tet).

The reserve is expected to take five years to develop and it will be designed in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The site for the reserve is on the north side of the River Tees, on the outskirts of Billingham. It was originally owned by ICI and is now the responsibility of English Partnerships.

Design work is under way and planning approval has been granted.

The first phase of work on the reserve is due to start in the summer, with the excavation of a series of pools and other wetland areas.

It is expected to cost £700,000 and is being funded by the Landfill Tax Credits scheme with contributions from Zero Waste and Capital Waste Management.

A spokesman for Tet said: "Creating a major wetland nature reserve on Teesside will significantly increase the wildlife importance of the area. It will not only provide better habitats for wading birds and wildfowl, but also should attract new species."

The reserve will be designed with people as well as wildlife in mind and it is hoped the site will become a valued community asset.

David Kitchen, Tet chairman, said: "I am thrilled the dream of creating an internationally important nature reserve on Teesside is to become a reality.

"After four years of careful planning, we will see the area being transformed into a prestigious site that will be important for wildlife and will be a key component in the regeneration of the area.

"Creating a new reserve of this scale and importance will be a lengthy and complex project, but we are determined that the final result will be a credit to the local community, to Teesside and to the North-East as a whole.