A multi-use sports hall is expected to prove a big hit with professional and local teams.

Work starts soon on the £1.3m development alongside Durham County Cricket Club's ground and the adjoining Riverside sports complex, at Chester-le-Street.

The sports hall will offer a venue for high-quality indoor cricket coaching for Durham and other players using the neighbouring Riverside ground, which became England's newest test match arena last summer.

It will also be available for community use as an indoor training venue for a wide range of other sports, including athletics, football, tennis and rugby.

The hall will be able to accommodate small team games in sports including cricket.

The project, being funded through partnership investment, has attracted support from organisations throughout County Durham.

These include Durham University, New College Durham, Durham Cricket Association and schools, including Roseberry Community and Sports College.

Councillor John Evans, Chester-le-Street District Council's portfolio holder for leisure services, welcomed the development.

He said: "It will bring immense benefit to the area by providing indoor facilities for various sporting activities, as well as enhancing the likelihood of bringing test match cricket to Chester-le-Street on a more regular basis.

"The fact that we have been able to progress to this stage demonstrates the dedication and tenacity shown by the council's leisure services manager and his team who have all had to work long and hard to bring us this far."

Durham County Cricket Club chief executive David Harker was equally upbeat at the prospect of the development, and not only from a cricket perspective.

He said: "It is a significant boost to sport and physical activity in general, in the region."

"The centre will allow youngsters from the local community to participate in cricket alongside professional players in a world-class facility."

The contract for the building project has been awarded to Bowey Construction Ltd, which moves on site next month.

Jeff Alexander, Bowey's business development manager, said the company was looking forward to providing, "a facility of which the North-East can be proud".

Other groups backing the project with financial contributions include Sport England, The Northern Rock Foundation, County Durham Economic Development Partnership, the county council and the Catherine Cookson Trust.