DETAILED plans for a £34m "education village" in Darlington are already being drawn up, it was revealed yesterday.

Darlington Borough Council said developers had begun drafting their vision for the development, on the site of Haughton Comprehensive School, in Rockwell Avenue.

This week, outline planning permission for the 14-hectare campus is likely to be approved under delegated powers.

In September, the authority will name the developer awarded the contract to build the education village, which is expected to be open by 2005.

"People are now putting together their ideas on that," said a council spokesman.

The "super school" will be the first of its kind in the country built using the Private Finance Initiative and will bring together Haughton comprehensive, Spring- field primary and Beaumont Hill special schools on a single site.

Consultations about the plan, including an exhibition and letters to residents, have already been carried out.

So far, the authority has received only one objection, from the Darlington West Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The group is concerned that an entrance to the facility in Salters Lane South will increase traffic in the area and prevent members from parking during meetings at nearby Kingdom Hall.

Traffic-calming measures and improvements for pedestrians on that road are expected as part of the development.

The successful bidder for the education village contract will also have to submit a school travel plan and cycling schemes.

Officers have recommended that outline approval is given, subject to a number of conditions.

These include adequate sports pitch provision, retention of the maximum number of trees on the site and suitable car parking for disabled drivers.