A LONG-running search for premises for a new youth venue in Bedale, designed to accommodate older teenagers and address problems of anti-social behaviour, has taken a new turn.

Six years after previous plans for a drop-in centre were rejected by county councillors, a planning application is being submitted to change the use of town centre offices recently vacated by a local enterprise agency.

Campaigners have been negotiating with Business Support and Development to rent the empty offices in Bridge Street following the agency's move to new premises in a converted hardware shop a few hundred yards away in Market Place.

Promoters of the youth venue believe it will play an important role in helping to draw older teenagers away from areas of Bedale where anti-social behaviour have caused complaints.

Bedale and Villages Community Plan Forum is submitting the planning application through Bedale Recreation Association, a registered charity, which will act as a channel for grant aid towards renting and equipping the venue. The forum is working with North Yorkshire County Council's children and young people's service.

Forum chairman Mike Barningham said the Bridge Street property had three rooms on the ground floor and three smaller offices and a kitchen above.

It was planned to use the ground floor as a reception area, coffee bar and pool room, with a suite of computers either for training or as an internet cafe.

The first floor would offer space for private consultations by visitors with youth workers.

Mr Barningham said the forum had agreed £4,000 towards renting the building, but stressed that further progress depended on getting planning permission.

He said: "One or two businesses have said they are not too happy about it, but it should not conflict with business because visiting will be more of an evening thing.

"We have consulted with young people and those who use the present youth centre at the high school are aged up to 14, after which they drop off. Young people said they wanted a more central position and we are trying to reach the 14 to 17 age group.

"If we can get the planning permission, hopefully we can move on to get funding in place.''

In 2001, a plan by the county council's community education department to open a drop-in centre in empty first-floor offices at 26 Market Place were rejected after councillors said room size and access were inadequate. Adjoining businesses also felt the centre was in the wrong place