Saltburn cricket, bowls and tennis club has been awarded just under £500,000 in grants which will go towards a major redevelopment at its site.

A new building will provide playing surfaces, a bowling machine, coaching facilities and space for other sport activities.

New changing rooms, a tennis pavilion, score box and equipment store are to be provided. In addition, there will be substantial extensions to the bowls pavilion and club house. Access is also to be improved.

To celebrate the start of the work, actors Jason Durr and Claire Galbraith from the Heartbeat TV series will be at the club to receive a cheque from Sport England on Monday at 3pm. The drama series, set around the North York moors during the 60s, is filmed extensively in Saltburn.

Club secretary Mrs Colette Vanham told the D&S Times the grants had come from the Sport England lottery fund and the Foundation for Sports and the Arts.

The total cost of the project was estimated at £595,000, plus VAT. The balance would be met through donations, club funds, fundraising activities and loans.

Last year, the club celebrated 125 years of cricket in the town.

"The buildings which are to be replaced are well over 80 years old and are in desperate need of upgrading. We want to provide good access to everyone in the community, including wheelchair users.

"Club members first decided to pursue the possibility of grant-aided redevelopment six years ago, when we realised the scale of the work would be beyond our own resources.

"The size of these grants mean that new facilities can be built and should be available for use next January."

The main contractor for the building work is Hobson Smith, of Stockton.

"We are especially indebted to our architects, Messrs Stringer and Jones, of Stainton, and their associated for their help," Mrs Vanham said.

The club's cricket teams play in the North Yorkshire & South Durham League. The A team won the both the premier division title and the MacMillan cup last year.

The bowls club also did well last year and the six-lane rink is used every year for Yorkshire B v Durham B county matches.

The tennis club enters teams in the Cleveland League and is affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association. The site has four hard courts and two grass courts in regular use, which Mrs Vanham said was unique in the area