A VILLAGE could get its long-awaited permanent library later this year if a £320,000 scheme wins approval today.

People at Langley Park have been calling for a permanent rather than a travelling library service for about nine years.

Now Durham County Council looks set to open a library in the Church Street Community Centre.

It would share the building with the village's community association, with the county council taking over the association's lease with the building's owner, the Coal Industry Welfare Organisation.

The project would see the council spend £320,000 on refurbishing the building and installing full library facilities, including computers.

The community association, which also has a base at Woodview, would continue to use the Church Street centre.

The library is expected to open later this year and will also act as a base for events and activities.

The council's cabinet will be recommended to press ahead with the scheme and take over the lease of the building, allowing the community association continued use.

The village's county councillor, Joe Armstrong, welcomed the move and said: "The planned improvement in library and information services has come about through genuine community consultation and close working with local people, the parish council, community association and a range of other local bodies."

Langley Park's mobile library was withdrawn in February of 2002 and it has since been served by a trailer library two-and-a-half days a week.

Consultations with villagers revealed that they wanted a library that would also be a centre for community-based learning.