A weekly newspaper covering the North West of England is to be launched next spring.

It is being set up by former Guardian journalist Bob Waterhouse, who launched the short-lived daily the North West Times in Manchester in the 1980s, and businessman Nick Jaspan. The pair previously worked together to form Newsco, which published the regional Insider magazine.

They think they can fill a gap in the market and meet the needs of people who live in and work in the region and advertisers who want to reach a wider audience than that offered by more localised titles.

It will be on sale in an area which takes in Carlisle, north Staffordshire, the Welsh border and the High Peak area of Derbyshire, as well as the major cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

This area is already served by Guardian Media Group, Trinity Mirror, Newsquest, Johnston Press and the CN Group, but Nick told HoldtheFrontPage that the new title would not be in direct competition.

He said: “There may be some cross-over, but the bulk of the readers will probably not be reading a paper from the region already.

“The North West region may not have same cohesion as Scotland or perhaps Yorkshire, but there is more cohesion in this area than people realise.”

Many details about the new weekly – including its name – are a closely-guarded secret, but more details are expected to be announced in January once funding is clarified and more of the team is in place.

It will include news and features on a full-range of topics, including business, transport, leisure, the arts and the environment.

A lease is currently being negotiated on premises in Manchester City Centre, close to Piccadilly Station, and is expected to have a staff of around 35, 14 of whom will be journalists.