A £2.5m environmentally-friendly business park could be created in north Durham.

Environmental group Groundwork West Durham is working with Derwentside District Council and Durham County Council to create an ecocentre on the Greencroft Industrial Park, near Stanley.

The 20,000sq ft ecocentre will be a showpiece development, aiming to illustrate the importance of energy efficiency and good design on industrial estates.

Bryan Scott, environmental manager at Groundwork West Durham, said: "Groundwork's remit on sustainability does not mean we are only interested in planting trees.

"This will show how business units can be, rather than just building a shed as cheaply as possible.

"We want to prove how design has a place in business centres and business units."

The charity already has planning permission for the 14-acre development, which would provide 23 environmentally-friendly units for small businesses, starting in size from 40sq ft.

The centre will be created using sustainable building techniques, from recycled and reused materials, including brick, glass and timber from redundant buildings in the area.

It also includes plans for a small wind turbine and solar panels, to help the centre generate its own power.

Waste water will be recycled and even the sewage will be treated on-site, by passing it through reed beds.

In line with the sustainability theme, car parking will be discouraged, but cycle parking will be provided.

Groundwork wants to incorporate an acre of wildlife ponds into the grounds, for use as a teaching resource by Greencroft Fishing Club.

The area will include 12.5 acres of heathland and woodland that is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), for which the charity will provide public access.

"This will bring community benefit, business benefit and will create a building of note," said Mr Scott.

The success of the project will hinge on Groundwork winning grants from County Durham Economic Forum and the European Regional Development Fund.

"We are a long way off still," said Mr Scott. "But this is an exciting project and we are confident we can raise the necessary funding to see it go ahead."