AN MP has called on a council to begin consultation on the future of two key city centre sites.

Roberta Blackman-Woods, Labour MP for Durham City, said Durham County Council should build on its ‘good work’ looking at the future of the city’s North Road by extending the consultation to include the old ice rink and Framwelgate Waterside sites.

Dr Blackman-Woods plans to call a public meeting to debate the issues. More details will be announced soon.

She said: "It is a very positive thing to have the council consulting local people on the future of North Road and they have put forward many interesting ideas.

"However, I am pressing the council to consider the future of North Road alongside Framwelgate Waterside and the old ice rink site so that a strategic vision for this area of the city can be developed alongside a suitable planning brief.

"This would enable the reconfiguration of the bus station along with retail, office and leisure developments in the area to be considered within a wider context."

The council is considering a range of radical proposals for North Road, including replacing the A690 roundabout and moving the bus station.

Durham’s old ice rink site, formerly home to the Durham Wasps, has stood unused since the Kascada bowling alley closed in August 2009. It is owned by regional development agency One North East, which wanted to build offices for 2,000 workers, but could be sold as the agency faces being wound up by March 2012.

Framwelgate Waterside is currently occupied by Milburngate House, which the Identity and Passport Service is set to vacate in 2014.

A Durham County Council spokeswoman said it had no plans to extend the North Road consultation to include other areas.