AMBITIOUS plans for a multi-million pound leisure and retail park have been revealed.

Property developers are in talks with council bosses over plans to bring an eight-screen cinema, restaurants, shops and bingo hall with 1,000 parking spaces to Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

The development could transform industrial land at Tindale Crescent, next to where Bishop Auckland Football Club's stadium will be built.

Property company Terrace Hill North-East Limited, from Stockton, is behind the proposals.

It says it already has a high-profile cinema chain interested in coming to the town and has had a great deal of interest from restaurant and fast food chains.

About 13.3 hectares of land in St Helens Way, has been earmarked for the project and the former Warner Electrics factory, at the centre of the site, has been demolished in anticipation.

If the project comes to fruition, it will see DIY giants B&Q move from Bob Hardisty Drive in the town to open a 5,110sq metre "new generation mini warehouse" with ancillary garden centre and builders' yard with 300 parking spaces.

Duncan McEwan, development executive at Terrace Hill, said that talks with planing authority Wear Valley District Council were still in the early stages, but everyone was enthusiastic.

He said: "We have submitted plans for the B&Q part of the plan, which were due to be discussed at the next meeting of the development control committee, but we have now withdrawn them and intend to talk further with the council."

Bob Hope, director of regeneration at Wear Valley District Council, said talks were still ongoing.

He said: "We are still in discussions with Terrace Hill about the plans but we are still quite a way from bringing it to the development control committee.''

Derek Toon, town centre manager for Bishop Auckland, said that the plans for the site looked impressive.

He said: "We have been asking for a cinema in Bishop Auckland for a long time now.

"Obviously, I would have liked it to be in the town centre but this looks excellent. This will attract more people to the town and it may be that they go to the cinema and call off at the town centre to do their shopping. Things are certainly looking up for Bishop Auckland.''