A PLAYING field could become the site for a £3m village primary school.

The sports fields at the school in Middleton St George, near Darlington, is the preferred site for the development.

If funding is granted for the school, Middleton St George Primary School and Sadberge CE Primary School would be closed and all the pupils would attend the new school.

The school would be voluntary-aided and built in conjunction with the Anglican Diocese of Durham who would apply for 90 per cent of the funding to build it.

The rest of the money would come from Darlington Borough Council who would run the schools alongside the diocese. Yesterday a council spokeswoman said: "This is in the early stages of development.

"No funding has been awarded yet so plans are at the first stages.

"However, it would be our preference to build the new school on the playing fields of the current school and then restore the playing fields when the school is knocked down."

The plans have been welcomed by councillors in Middleton St George who hope it will reduce the over-crowding at the primary school.

But some people in Sadberge have complained that the loss of their school would contribute to the erosion of village life.