PLANS to increase the size of an East Durham shopping development are being opposed because of fears they will take trade from neighbouring town and city centres.

The £36m development proposed for Dalton Flatts at Murton, which would create 1,100 permanent jobs, has been hailed as they key to the regeneration of the former pit area.

A scheme to build 100,000 sq ft of factory shops, along with a multiplex cinema, hotel and bowling centre, was approved by Environment Secretary John Prescott last year.

Now developer London and Amsterdam, which has taken over the scheme from Matthew Fox Developments, is seeking to double the retail space.

But planners at Sunderland City Council fear the bigger development will take trade from stores in Sunderland, Washington and Houghton-le-Spring.

Today they will recommend the council's planning and highways committee lodge an objection with Easington District Council, which will decide whether to give the development planning permission.

The revised scheme would see the cinema scaled down from eight to five screens to allow the extra shop space to be built.

The city council opposed the original Dalton Flatts proposals - which a planning inspector said should be rejected - but they were approved by Mr Prescott who ruled that East Durham's need for regeneration was paramount.

The council's director of environment William Ault says the development will take trade from the city and will require road improvements at Hetton-le-Hole to deal with extra traffic.

"The revised scheme could be expected to have an even greater adverse impact on Sunderland city centre and Washington and Houghton town centres and traffic management issues in the Hetton area than would the original scheme," he said.

"Indeed the factory outlet shopping can only be viable by diverting trade from existing centres and drawing custom from outside Easington district.''

Mr Ault says "both consequences fly in the face of Government planning advice.''

Though it could provide job opportunities for people in the Hetton and Easington Lane areas it would take trade and possibly investment from the city.

Mr Ault also questions studies on the predicted impact on neighbouring towns of traffic heading for the development.