A PLAN to save a village community centre has angered a resident who says it would be better to sell the land for development.

Ian Kirkbride says not all villagers in Middleton St George, near Darlington, want the community centre to stay open.

On Monday night, a group of residents met to discuss a rescue plan for the building.

Mr Kirkbride, who has resigned from the centre's management committee, would prefer the former pumping station was sold to developers and the money raised used for other projects in the village.

If a new £3m school is built in Middleton St George, it will include a new community centre.

"The trustees were going to sell for £200,000," he said. "We had three developers interested. That money could have been invested and spent on different projects, such as the football field or a new play area."

He said the village was in need of affordable housing for young people: "These flats could have provided that. The flats would be two two-storey blocks which would actually stop vandalism at the community centre."

Mr Kirkbride, 56, said he and other members of the former management committee would have attended Monday's meeting had they known about it.

* Do you think people should work to save community centres? Send your views to Hear All Sides, The Northern Echo, PO Box 14, Priestgate, Darlington DL1 1NF.