More than 300 people came together to hear about the progress of the £394.5 million Borderlands Growth Deal.

A conference, held at Slaley Hall in Northumberland, highlighted the steps taken so far and to discuss next steps.

The Borderlands Partnership includes Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Northumberland County Council and Scottish Borders Council.

Earlier this year the authorities signed the heads of terms, securing £85m from the Scottish Government, £265m from UK Government and £44.5m from the local authorities.

Work on Borderlands schemes, including the ambitious £15m revamp of Carlisle railway station into an iconic gateway for the city, is due to start next year, the conference was told.

Money has already been released for that scheme and others like a dairy innovation centre in Dumfries and Galloway.

A feasibility study into the extension of the Borders Railway from Carlisle to Tweedbank will also be funded to the tune of £10m.

Work is also ongoing on business cases for other projects.

The deal will also mean an investment of £31m in green energy projects, with improvements in digital and mobile connectivity across the region.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse, told delegates that the deal would allow local authorities to work together to lever funding which would benefit all their communities.

Workshops covering place and destination, energy, digital, business infrastructure and natural capital were also held to share ideas and help shape the final deal.