CONCERNS about the future of a key town centre site after Tesco pulled out of plans for a multi-million pound development will be placed under the spotlight at a town council meeting on Monday.

As the community continues to reel from loss of 400 potential jobs, members of Peterlee Town Council will be calling for the derelict former East Durham College to be demolished and landscaped until another use is found for the land.

Tesco had planned to build a store on the site in Essington Way, Peterlee, but dropped the scheme for financial reasons.

The empty building has been targeted by vandals and thieves since the campus moved to Willerby Grove in 2009.

Peterlee town councillor Andrew Watson, of the Free And Independent Representation (FAIR) Party, said: “We have lost 400 jobs that we were expecting, at a time Peterlee is desperate for jobs and investment.

“All that we have now is a big, horrible, ugly building right bang in the centre of Peterlee. It is an absolute eyesore.

“I have placed a motion on the agenda of Monday’s meeting proposing the town council gets in touch with the Durham County Council and asks it to start a compulsory purchase order to buy the land and to demolish the building.

“The site needs to be landscaped until a valid use is found for it.”

Mark Thomas, regional corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: “It is early days at the moment.

“We are obviously super conscious of the impact of the site in the town and are aware of residents concerns regard to the existing buildings and their appearance.

“We stepped up the monitoring and maintenance of the site in lieu of demolition over the past few weeks to improve its appearance as much as we can.”

He added: “We will be active in working with Durham County Council on the future of the site and keeping the community updated as much as we possibly can.

“We will be looking at all options on the table.”

Sarah Robson, county council's head of economic development and housing, said: “The college site forms an important part of the regeneration of Peterlee and we will continue to work with Tesco to secure a long term future which supports and enhances the town centre.

“As part of this work, we will be looking at options for the future of the library.”

Store plans were approved in June 2011, alongside a supermarket as part of the Castle Dene Shopping Centre and Dalton Park, in Murton.