PLANS for a £7.3 m discovery centre in North Yorkshire are to be reviewed by county councillors following complaints.

The scheme is earmarked for Harrogate but Gordon Gresty, county council director of business and community services, said some councillors had expressed concerns.

In a report to the scrutiny committee, he said several councillors were worried that it would be built on a sensitive area of open space in the centre of the town.

Mr Gresty said, in his report to Wednesday's meeting, that the centre, on land owned by Harrogate council, would house North Yorkshire's archive collections, local history information and records of births, marriages and deaths.

He said: "There is considerable interest in genealogy, local history and archival material.

"If this was enhanced by an attractive user-friendly and interactive front end in Harrogate, it will have a considerable visitor appeal.

"This flagship development would be utilised to refurbish the current library and information service and deliver the county council's one-stop shop programme for the Harrogate area".

Mr Gresty said the preferred option was to build a three-storey extension to the county council library and information centre in Harrogate.

It would include a cafe, exhibition space, meeting rooms and the library itself would be refurbished.

Funding is likely to come from regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the county council and the European Union.