CONSTRUCTION work on a £600,000 community centre in a north Durham village is underway.

The current facility, on the Hamsteels Estate of Esh Winning, has been demolished to make way for building work on the new centre.

It is on the existing site and will provide local people with somewhere new to hold community activities, events and projects.

The work is expected to take 24 weeks and be completed by this summer.

Councillor Barbara Armstrong, chairperson of Cornsay Parish Council and Durham County Councillor for Esh and Witton Gilbert, said: “Local residents have been very enthusiastic about the plan and we’re already looking forward to the centre being completed.

“We’re sure it will help bring together members of the community to enjoy a range of activities and we’d encourage anyone who would like to be involved in its management to get in touch.”

It is being funded by Big Lottery Fund Reaching Communities, Cornsay Parish Council, County Durham Community Foundation, Durham County Council via its Area Action Partnership’s area budget and neighbourhood budget.

The project has been further supported by the local county councillors Barbara and Joseph Armstrong, David Bell, Anne Bonner and Jean Chaplow and the former councillor Malcolm Campbell.

The centre has been designed by the North-East architectural firm, Blake Hopkinson Architects.

One of the company’s partners, Darren Blake, said: “The existing centre was not meeting the needs of local residents and there was a range of maintenance work required to get the building up to a more workable standard so demolition seemed a more viable option.

“The plans have been created following a long period of consultation with local residents and regular visitors to the centre to identify how the design of the building can support greater use of the facilities.

“With construction now underway, we are looking forward to seeing how the views and ideas of local people put into our final architectural plans, will be received by villagers when the centre opens in July 2016.”

Cornsay Parish Council are looking for residents to volunteer on the new management committee for Hamsteels Community Centre, who will play a key role in running the new facility.

Anyone interested should contact Barbara Armstrong on 03000-268-674 or via barbaraarmstrong99@hotmail.com.