WORK is expected to start this week on a project to revitalise Wolsingham.

Businesses in the town were badly affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis last year, which devastated many farms in Weardale and deterred tourists from visiting it.

But the town's fortunes could be turned around by the long-awaited improvements to Wolsingham town centre.

The £400,000 regeneration project will be spread over three years.

The first phase starts on Wednesday and is expected to last six weeks. New paving and bus stops will be created, road safety improved and street furniture added.

Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth said: "It was going to be started last year, but with foot-and-mouth it has been put back. Before that it was going to be done in the early 1990s. Wolsingham is the gateway to Weardale, so really it should be done.

"Hopefully, when this is done and the next market town initiatives are being considered, Wolsingham will be the next town to have some of the money invested in it."

Wolsingham is in the poorest district of County Durham. The regeneration project is being funded by the county council and Wear Valley District Council, supported by a £300,000 English Heritage grant.

The grant is part of £9m to be spent throughout the country by English Heritage's economic regeneration scheme, which aims to help the country's most deprived areas.

An action plan for improvements to the town was drawn up two years ago after lengthy consultations with residents.

Some improvements were started last spring, in order to attract the latest additional funding from English Heritage.

Several proposals, including a one-way traffic system through the main shopping area, were scrapped after the consultation. Instead, extra safety features, including parking bays outside the shops, library and working men's clubs were added.

Wolsingham parish councillor Ken Charlton said changes were already noticeable in the town, because several shops had added new fronts in anticipation of the project.

He said: "There is quite a lot of work to be done. The parish council is very pleased that it is being carried out."