A disused shop unit in Spennymoor has been given a new lease of life, thanks to a regeneration project that has turned the space into a green community garden in the heart of the County Durham town.

The former retail premises at 55–63 Festival Walk, which had remained vacant despite efforts to attract new ownership, has now been replaced with a landscaped public space designed to boost the appeal of the town centre.

Having already redeveloped two nearby sites, the council determined that converting the third unit into another commercial property was not viable. Instead, the decision was made to demolish the unit and revitalise the space as a garden for public use.

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Graham Wood, economic development manager at Durham County Council, said: "As part of ongoing regeneration work within Spennymoor town centre, we have been making improvements to the high street to create a more appealing and welcoming environment for visitors. We hope this will help encourage footfall and support businesses.

"Transforming these empty units into a community garden has brought an empty site back into use as a welcoming, green space for people to enjoy."

The transformation was made possible through local Neighbourhood Budget funding. Councillors Liz Maddison and Billy McAloon contributed £701 and £500 respectively. Additional support came from former councillors Mark Abley and Luke Holmes, who provided £501 and £2,754.