DURHAM City Council's development company is to build a £1m community centre and bowling green for Newton Hall.

It will be on land at the Abbey Sports Centre, in Abbey Road, Pity Me, and replace Newton Hall Community Association's centre in Carr House Drive, which cannot meet laws on access for the disabled.

The development, which will be carried out by the Durham Villages Regeneration Company, part-owned by the council, has received planning permission from the development control committee and could be completed before Christmas.

Association chairwoman Mamie Simmons, who is also a city councillor for the estate's north ward, said: "It will be wonderful, because we now have a very active centre.

"There are activities going on every evening, and education courses every day. We have a playgroup and a youth club.

"We are looking to have more courses as we get better facilities. There are one or two organisations that will be able to use our craft room.''

The community centre, in a converted former farmhouse, was badly damaged in an arson attack in 2001 that cost £25,0000 to repair.

The building needs to be replaced because it does not conform with the Disabled Discrimination Act, which requires that the disabled can fully access buildings.

"It is a very interesting building, but it isn't ideal because rooms are on different levels, and that causes problems for the elderly,'' said Councillor Simmons.

"We will have a craft room, a meeting room and a hall and a kitchen. There will be French doors opening on to a paved area looking over the bowling green. I'm really looking forward to it.''

The council's cabinet member for the environment and leisure, Carol Woods, said the new centre would be funded through the council's Flourishing Communities Fund, by the sell-off of the land, probably for houses, that the existing centre and bowling green are on.

"The centre is old and it is not possible to make it comply with the disability access requirements and have things such as proper disabled toilets."

"I think it is an important development, and the community association are really positive about the fact they will get brand new facilities.''