A YOUTH leader with plans to build a £500,000 youth centre fears a lack of consultation could put the scheme in jeopardy.

Teesdale District Council has granted planning permission to Teesdale Community Resources (TCR) for its new youth centre on Strathmore Road, Barnard Castle.

However, Keith Jones a Youth in the Community worker at TCR fears the council's failure to show the plans to GlaxoSmithKline could jeopardise the scheme.

The proposed centre would house four dormitories, a dance and performance space, offices, a lounge/dining room, a kitchen, music studio and a soundproof room, as well as a toilet, showers and garage space.

However, TCR wants to build it on land which is owned by the GlaxoSmithKline factory and adjacent to the Glaxo Sports and Social Club.

Tom Norton, the vice-president of the sports and social club, said GlaxoSmithKline had not seen any of the plans and that was why originally it had not raised any objections.

He said: "Our objection now is that if this building goes ahead it's going to stop any future development for ourselves."

There were also concerns that pedestrian access to the proposed youth centre would cross GlaxoSmithKline land.

Barnard Castle Town Council had objected to the scheme saying it was residential development in a non-residential area.

However, planning officers said the dormitories were likely to be used by groups under supervision and would not have any adverse impact on the surrounding area.

Although Mr Jones said he was delighted by the decision to grant planning permission, the failure to show GlaxoSmithKline the plans could make progress on the development difficult.

He said: "It's unfortunate that we have been put in this situation that we're in.

"In our original application to Teesdale District Council we were advised to have it on Glaxo land.

"They have put us in a real awkward position as the plans haven't been passed on.

"I just hope that Paul Londesborough (the GlaxoSmithKline site director) and his team can appreciate that the problems with that process weren't our doing."

Trevor Watson, Teesdale District Council's principal planning officer, said: "The council advised Mr Jones' agent to rectify all issues of land ownership and private interests before submitting the application.

"It's the responsibility of the person submitting the application, if it involves a third party's land to make sure that they know about it.

"There will have been site and neighbour notification but it's the requirement of the applicant to speak to all interested parties in terms of land-ownership."