A PILE of debris is all that remains of a town's acclaimed former council headquarters.

Work started on the demolition of Chester-le-Street’s 1980s-built Civic Centre at the start of the month is well advanced.

The futuristic-looking building was built for the former Chester-le-Street District Council and was still in use after the shake-up of County Durham’s local government in 2009.

Durham County Council, which became the county’s unitary authority, continued to use it as a base for some staff and held some committee meetings there.

Bur it closed last year and has been replaced by a customer access point based in offices on Front Street shared with Cestria Community Housing, the town’s biggest social landlord.

The glass and steel structure was declared surplus to requirements by the council but there was a bid to have it listed as a Grade II Listed Building, which would have prevented the building be taken down.

The 20th Century Society hailed it as an excellent example of modern civic architecture but English Heritage ruled that it was not important enough to save.

Work on the Newcastle Road site, which is next to the town’s police station, is expected to take until the middle of next month.

It is likely that the land will be sold for housing development as the site has already been earmarked for that purpose in the county’s planning blueprint.

Some residents have voiced concern that the town is losing its facilities – the main post office in Front Street looks set to be run from a convenience store near the town's Market Place.

There were fears that the town’s police station could also be closed but it has been revamped and is now home to officers relocated from headquarters at Aykley Heads as well as local police teams.