DALES residents say that a proposed £600,000 children's centre supporting families would be a waste of money and could affect existing services.

The Weardale Children's Centre, based at the Barrington School, in Stanhope, would be one of the first of 30 SureStart centres due to open in County Durham over the next two years.

Run by Government initiative SureStart, the centre would offer full day care for under fives, advice and information for parents, help with getting adults into work and training, outreach sessions for parents and carers, family support services and access to a childminder network.

But some families say the new centre is not needed because Weardale's nursery schools have spare places and they fear the new centre could threaten existing services.

Parents were invited to comment on the proposals at three public meetings over the past week.

Stanhope Parish Council is objecting to SureStart's application for planning permission for the centre, which would link with health, education and employment services.

Parish council chairman Harry Irwin said: "It is an utter waste of public money. There are empty spaces at nursery schools in the dale and a private nursery at Frosterley, which has the facilities and the qualified staff to do this.

"They have consulted people too late. If they had asked for views earlier they might have come up with a different answer.

"We are not against what SureStart are doing, but the building itself is unnecessary."

Mother-of-two Janet Lonsdale, from Ireshopeburn, said: "All the schools around here are struggling. There are other places where these services could be provided."

A spokesman for Durham County Council, which manages SureStart, said the centre's true value would quickly become apparent once it opened.

He said: "It is odd that people in Stanhope and Weardale should choose to criticise an investment whose sole intention is to improve the outcomes for children under five."

There would be six members of staff at the centre from 8am to 6pm, weekdays.

A partnership formed to guide the centre's development is inviting families to a meeting on Friday, at 4pm, at Stanhope Health Centre.