THE former Whitecliffe School building in Skinningrove is to get a new lease of life as a community centre for the village.

The Loftus Development Trust has drawn up a plan for the Victorian building.

It will be home to a community training facility, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Sure Start project to support families, the East Cleveland Youth Housing initiative and the Workers' Educational Association.

The council is handing the lease over to the trust, which aims to work closely with families in the village.

The intention is to give the residents ultimate responsibility for the facility.

The site was declared surplus to requirements in 1998, but has been used in recent weeks as the village's flood relief centre.

That role will continue for another six weeks.

The council's lead member for infrastructure and the environment, Councillor Sylvia Szintai, said: "We are delighted to confirm that the old school building will have a role to play in the community and are sure the trust will give residents a real say in its future."

The trust's Skinningrove coordinator, Anne Clutterbuck, said: "It has long been the wish of Skinningrove residents that the school should be brought back into use for the benefit of the whole community.

"The trust is delighted to be given the opportunity to achieve this on behalf of the village.