A DERELICT piece of land close to the Wellington Square Shopping Centre in Stockton is to undergo a £450,000 transformation.

Home Entertainment Corporation, trading as Choices Video, will move onto the site known as Sidney Island, when building work is completed in October. It hopes to open by December.

Wellington Square Development Company, which owns the land, is investing approximately £300,000 in an intensive build programme, with Home Entertainment Corporation spending a further £150,000 to turn the 3,485 sq ft building into a modern store.

Rob Gildersleeve, centre manager at Wellington Square Shopping Centre, said: "The substantial investment we are making in this land demonstrates our commitment to Stockton and its people, and highlights our ability to see the wider picture by taking an interest in opportunities outside our core remit.

"It is also an excellent opportunity to extend our leisure offering for all the family while at the same time allowing us to improve an area in need of regeneration."