A symbol of the region's mining past will be saved, thanks to grants of more than 100,000 pounds.
The Dunston Staithes in Gateshead is where coal was loaded onto ships on the River Tyne.
Since the mines closed in the 1980s, the staithes have become derelict.
The repairs will turn them into a promenade for walkers and cyclists.
You can watch the full report from Lucy Taylor below.
Ex-miners will next week mark the 20 years since their pit closed, with a party in Easington in County Durham - on the day of Baroness Thatcher's funeral.
Alan Cummings, chairman of the Durham Miners' Association, said the timing of events was "remarkable" and "one of those quirks", though he added:
– Alan Cummings, chairman of the Durham Miners' Association"She couldn't be cremated on a better day."
The party will be held on Wednesday at the Easington Colliery Club, in the former pit village, subject to the committee's approval, he said.
On Tuesday evening there will be another party for the women's groups who supported the striking miners, he said.
– Alan Cummings, chairman of the Durham Miners' Association"We are planning to have a colliery band and we are inviting ex-miners and their families to go back over their memories of the strike and what has happened since the closure of the pit."
The pit in Easington Colliery, which was the setting for the film Billy Elliott, closed in 1993, with the loss of 1400 jobs and it is one of the most deprived parts of the country.
Mr Cummings, an ex-NUM Lodge secretary, said the event was not in poor taste and he had only received positive feedback.
– Alan Cummings, chairman of the Durham Miners' Association"I couldn't stand her.
"She had a very patronising manner and I could have put my foot through the television whenever I saw her on there.
"We opposed and hated everything she did. She has wrecked thousands and thousands of lives so, no, it's not in poor taste.
"We can understand why people are happy and rejoicing that she has gone because they remember these communities have never recovered."
The Durham Miners' Association has made a controversial decision to throw a party next Wednesday on the day of Baroness Thatcher's funeral.
The association says that it is honouring a promise made to its members in the 1980's, when Lady Thatcher was Prime Minister.
The decision comes as the debate continues to rage over Baroness Thatcher's political career and her impact on the region's coalmining industry.
Watch the full report below.
The region has always been proud of its mining tradition and interest in mining culture has grown in recent years.
Tours of theatre productions such as" Pitman Painters" have triumphed in the UK and Broadway.
Two of the Pitman Poets - Billy Mitchell and and Bob Fox - joined Pam and Ian in the studio.
Plans have been submitted for a new underground pot-ash mine beneath the North Yorkshire moors.
The development would be close to Sneaton village, near Whitby.
More than one billion tonnes of the mineral polyhalite has been found - it would then be mined and turned into pot-ash fertiliser.
If the application is approved the project could create thousands of jobs for the local area.
Plans are expected to be put to public consultation.
Plans for a potash mine four miles south of Whitby have been submitted to the National Park authority in the North York Moors.
The company behind it says that it will invest a billion pounds into the mine - creating thousands of jobs in the Sneaton area.
However, opponents say that they are worried that it could spoil one of England's most beautiful areas.
Watch the full report from Frances Read below.
Many people who live in the area where the potash mine could be built say that they are worried that, if built, it could spoil one of England's most beautiful areas.
Proposals for a new potash mine south of Whitby have come a step closer as planning documents have been submitted to the North Yorkshire Moors' National Park Authority.
The plans for the mine four kilometres south of Whitby would create thousands of jobs.
However, opponents claim that the potash mines would be a blot on the landscape.
A major planning battle is expected after a mining company announced today it had submitted a long-awaited application to sink a potash mine in the North York Moors national park, creating a 1,000 permanent jobs.
Sirius Minerals wants to build the mine two-and-a-half miles south of Whitby. It says the mine would exploit what is believed to be the world's biggest and best quality supply of potash, which is used to make fertiliser.
But critics say the technology is untested and the mine will be an eyesore in the heart of one of the region's most protected landscapes. The company says it expects a decision to be made by the national park planning authority in May.
– Chris Fraser, Managing Director, Sirius Minerals."This is a major milestone for the company and one that we believe brings us closer to the first day of construction and production at the York Potash Project."
The Bishop of Jarrow has carried out a special ceremony to mark the town's of Washington's rich mining past.
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