Darlington Partnership has unveiled its vision of the town's future in the first draft of its community strategy.

Possible developments include a business park built on waste land off Haughton Road, close to the East Coast main line.

Dubbed Bank Top Village, the park could include a conference hotel, attracting chemical industry researchers and businesses.

Other visions in the draft are a new town centre shopping complex at Commercial Street, a national environmental award for the West Park development and a station linking the future Tees Valley Metro to Morton Palms business park and the new home for Darlington College of Technology.

The partnership says its predictions are "based on existing proposals, plans and programmes which reflect the great potential of Darlington in the next decade and beyond."

The draft has been distributed to local partners in the public, private, voluntary and community sectors as part of a consultation period ending on January 31.

The consultation process also includes the third Darlington Assembly meeting on Friday, January 24, at the central hall, Dolphin Centre, from 9.30-noon. Speakers include Darlington MP Alan Milburn and the meeting will feature workshops and informal discussion.

A revision of the community strategy, based on the results of consultation, is expected by mid-February.

An action plan setting out the ways in which Darlington Partnership intends to deliver the objectives in the strategy will be developed during February and March.

Jane Brown, chief executive of Darlington Partnership, said: "Our strategy is one of ambition and optimism, based upon all the potential here in Darlington, while also seeking to address some of the real issues in the area.

"We believe that, working together with all the organisations and the community, we can make Darlington an even better place to be.

"The community strategy is an important step forward in getting us all to work together towards our common vision for Darlington. It is essential we get the vision right."