A FLAGSHIP nursery and community centre designed for up to 80 toddlers is to be built on Teesside.

As part of the Government's £300m drive to create 45,000 new nursery places across the country, the National Day Nurseries Association is to build the centre on a disused site on Masefield Road, Hartlepool.

The group is inviting residents living in the Park, Owton, Fens and Rossmere areas to a meeting to discuss its plans.

The combined neighbourhood nursery and community centre is thought to be the first one of its kind to get off the drawing board.

Patricia Jackson, project manager for the Government's Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative, said: "The meeting is a great opportunity for local residents to come and share their views on the development while also finding out about the centre can make a difference to them.

"This could either be through training, securing a childcare place or simply meeting up with other parents to share advice.

"However people choose to use the centre, Hartlepool will have an excellent facility in its community."

The public meeting will be held at the Rift House Primary School, Masefield Road, on Thursday, August 15, at 6pm. For information call Patricia Jackson on 0870 7744244.