A FORMER infants school will be given a new lease of life thanks to £2m worth of transformation work.

The former Newtown Infant School, in Durham Road, Stockton will now be known as Newtown Community Resource Centre.

The centre will accommodate some permanent agencies, such as SureStart, and will be used for training, meeting and counselling areas and rooms can also be rented. A small caf and several meeting areas are also available.

Training and education will be available as well as youth services, childcare, information, advice and guidance services. Stockton Online will also have a base there.

The project is overseen by a management committee of local residents and agencies, with support from Stockton Council and funding from the single regeneration budget, The Big Lottery and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Councillor Bob Gibson, leader of Stockton council and chairman of the management committee, said: "This is the culmination of almost four years of hard work and planning and, when complete, the new centre will be a wonderful facility."