MULTI-million pound plans for new one-stop shops for families with young children have been announced.

North Yorkshire County Council has submitted planning applications for 11 Sure Start centres.

Centres are planned for the Alverton ward in Northallerton, Thirsk, Norton, Knaresborough, Whitby, two in Skipton, plus Saltergate, Wedderburn, Starbeck and Woodfield in Harrogate.

The applications are due to be considered by the council's planning and regulatory functions committee next month.

The centres provide support and advice to parents with young children aged up to five. Families can receive access to health care, help with early years education, and a link to training and employment services.

County Councillor John Watson, executive member for the children and young people's service, said: "The geography of the county, the population distribution and the needs of communities do not lend themselves to the development of large, stand-alone centres.

"What we are doing is to take a graduated approach, with a limited number of places where there will be moderate-sized centres which will act as the hubs for children's centre services across a town, through to the more rural areas, where the needs are not for buildings, but for a more joined-up coherent approach to service delivery.

"Our aim is to tailor the centres to the needs of each local community, as agreed between us and the people in that community."

North Yorkshire already has seven Sure Start centres up and running.

These are based at Colburn, Hellifield in Craven, east Whitby, Filey, Brotherton and two in Selby. Discussions have begun about a further ten.

These are planned for Askrigg, Richmond, Bedale, Stokesley, Ripon, Pickering, Childhaven in Scarborough, Easingwold, Tadcaster and upper Wharfedale.

Across the UK, a million children and their families now have access to Sure Start centres.

Announcing the milestone figure last month, children's minister Beverley Hughes said: "I want Sure Start children's centres to be as much a part of the local community as the local school or GP's surgery.

"We are seeing all the services parents want being offered in their community under one roof."