A MASTERPLAN could be drawn up to help revamp two struggling town centres.

Sedgefield Borough Council has identified Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor town centres as being in urgent need of regeneration.

Over the next year, the authority will use the local development framework - which outlines planning policies - and consult with traders and other interested parties to draw up a list of core strategies to aid the revival of both towns.

Although the initiative is at a very early stage, it is expected that plans could be created to steer development of both areas.

Officers are already considering the issues that could be raised in the plans to encourage potential developers to fall into line.

The owners of Festival Walk shopping precinct, in Spennymoor, had applied for planning permission to build new retail units on a car park behind the mall.

Ediston Properties hoped to attract traders to the 6,500sq ft unit to boost the town's retail area and to screen service yards at the back of the precinct.

But a number of independent traders and town councillors feared that the new retail units would pull shoppers away from the town centre because it is located on the edge of the retail zone.

Worries were also expressed about the possible loss of parking spaces.

The town council asked Edinburgh-based Ediston Properties to consider refurbishing and leasing empty units in the mall before building new ones.

After hearing local concerns and of the borough council's long-term aspirations for the town, Ediston agreed to withdraw the application until an overall scheme is drawn up for the town's future.

Charlie Walton, head of planning services, said: "The plans were withdrawn after the applicant and council had discussions about the town centre as a whole."

"Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor are high priorities to the council for redevelopment and we will explore all options over the next year or so to help both town centres."

In November, The Northern Echo launched a Shopping for a Future campaign to support Spennymoor traders and encourage residents to shop locally