COMMUNITY schemes designed by Niven and Niven to provide crche and nursery facilities, meeting rooms and teenage pregnancy units are close to completion in districts of Stockton.

The Darlington firm was chosen by Stockton Borough Council to design Sure Start schemes in Redhill, Thornaby and Ragworth.

A crche and nursery has been built at Ragworth, while the other two projects are in their final phases.

The £750,000 scheme at Redhill has included Sure Start training rooms, a caf, a nursery and crche and a unit for pregnant teenagers, with work on the final part - an after-school facility - now under way.

At Thornaby, a £2m scheme has involved converting a former primary school into a Sure Start building, with nursery, crche and after-school unit and a children's centre, complete with a sensory room for young people with physical and learning difficulties.

The final phase of the project is for Sure Start training facilities, meeting rooms, a caf and fathers' rooms.

All three schemes have been carried out under a partnering system involving all interested parties in the planning and development of the projects.

Niven and Niven director Simon Crowe said: "From day one, we formed a team with representatives of Sure Start, the contractors, ourselves, parents and local residents.

"It has allowed those people who will actually use the centres to be involved in things like the design of the buildings and even the colours used.

"It is a fairly new and innovative way to operate, but it has worked extremely well and, for us, has been a particularly rewarding aspect of the projects."

Niven and Niven's experience in designing Sure Start projects is leading to similar work with other local authorities.