PLANS to build a £4.5m community facility, the first of its kind in the country, has been halted because of spiralling building costs.

Work was due to start on the development at Skerne Park, in Darlington, this summer but council chiefs admitted last night the cost of the scheme had gone over budget.

An emergency meeting was held this week between governors, teachers and council heads at Skerne Park junior school, the site of the proposed development.

A blueprint of proposals to include a primary school, nursery unit, Sure Start base, neighbourhood nursery and lifelong learning centre were submitted to Darlington Borough Council's planning department last week.

A council spokesman said the cost of building materials had hindered the plans with the price of steel rising 80 per cent in the past four months.

He said: "The cost of the project has gone up considerably. The bottom line is whatever it costs we will find the money and we are looking at a range of different options.

"We are going to put all the information together and put the options and recommendations to the school governing body who will make a decision in a matter of weeks."

Council chiefs told the meeting one of the options would be to reduce the number of places at the new school from 420.

Governors have also been asked to consider the alternative of reducing the number of facilities available in order to cut costs.

Another option would be to re-introduce catchment areas so pupils who live near the school would have to attend it, even if it was not parents' first choice.

Joe Lyonette, Park East ward councillor and governor at the school, said: "Yes there have been changes and there are still a lot of negotiations going on."

Darlington architects Browne Smith Baker have been signed up to work on developing the community facility.