A HOUSING and nursery school development is to breathe new life into a prominent east Durham town centre site.

Unused since the closure of the ITEC Centre in Burnhope Way, Peterlee, the land is to be redeveloped into a 18-home housing estate, a purpose-built nursery and an outdoor football pitch.

The ITEC Centre closed its doors several years ago and the land was initially ear-marked for the redevelopment of neighbouring North Blunts Junior School, which needed to be re-sited to make way for a retail park.

But the plans floundered when Durham County Council decided it could not justify providing new premises for a school with falling numbers, and the primary school was closed.

Since that time, the land which flanks the main entrance road into Peterlee's town centre has remained derelict.

But plans submitted by the North Blunts Partnership, a subsidiary company of Modus Properties, the organisation which runs Peterlee's busy shopping centre, have now been granted conditional approval.

The application came before a meeting of Easington District Council's development control and regulatory panel, when members were told that the development would include the construction of 18 private houses.

In addition, a nursery building is to be constructed which will replace the existing facility, which currently operates across the road at East Durham and Houghall Community College.

Once the nursery is complete, it will be transferred to Durham County Council and the day-to-day running of the football pitch will be decided by Durham County, Easington District and Peterlee Town Councils.

The application had raised concerns from nearby residents over the removal of trees.

Panel members also expressed their concern over the provision of parking places for the nursery facility, but were advised that the number of places specified in the plans would be adequate.

The panel decided that the application should be approved but several conditions have been imposed on the developers.

These include the types of materials to be used on the houses, suitable enclosure of the land, relevant landscaping and the protection of trees during the construction.