PROPOSALS to reinstate a school play area will be put before a key council meeting next month.

North Road Primary School is set to undergo a £6.5m redevelopment project on its current site in Pendleton Road South, Darlington.

Darlington Borough Council's children's service department proposes the changes would include a new play area on the existing play park.

The plans for the new school were launched in February. The schoolhouse, built in 1915, would be demolished and a 420-pupil capacity replacement added on the current school fields.

Early plans, which were drawn up with the help of local ward councillors, included a play area for children in St Paul's Place.

However consultation showed residents in the area were concerned the new play park would be a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

Ward councillor Fred Lawton, with colleague Mike Barker, later saw a replacement set of plans which did not contain a play area. They were keen for the play area to be included and asked the council's childrens scrutiny committee to seek its retention.

As a result of the concerns on both sides, officers now plan to leave the play park on land next to Grass Street.

The new play equipment will be installed on a smaller area of the existing site to make it more manageable.

A small piece of the remainder of the land would be taken over by the school.

Funds have been set aside to pay for the new equipment within the budget for the school.

Coun Barker said he had not yet seen the plans but was very pleased to see the play area reinstated.

He added: "It is essential to have play equipment and a play area for the younger kids in that area because there is very little in that part of North Road.

"There is North Road park but that is further up the road and the other side of a busy road."

Councillor Fred Lawton hoped the new play area would be monitored by police for potential problems.

He added: "I hope the new play ground is big enough and good enough to replace the current one."

The proposals will go to the council's cabinet meeting in June. The planning application is also expected to be heard by the councils planning committee during the same month.

If the plans are passed, the scheme will see a new state-of-the-art school set to be opened in September 2009. Work will follow to demolish the old school buildings to create new playing fields.