A health centre in Darlington is to be rebuilt thanks to a £1.25m investment in primary care.

The new Park Place health centre is to be built in the car park next to the existing building to minimise disruption to patients.

Darlington Primary Care Trust gave the go-ahead at its board meeting for the scheme to house a doctor's practice, community dental services and a vulnerable witness suite.

Foot health services could transfer to the Hundens Lane centre, which already specialises in caring for the elderly.

The board heard that Park Place had fallen into disrepair and a full refurbishment would cost £900,000.

Members felt this did not seem good value when a new centre could be built for not much more and the Strategic Health Authority had offered to provide the finance.

Trust director of finance Peter Chrisp said: "Trying to do anything with the existing building would have been pouring good money after bad, so we have looked at other ways forward."

The board also considered a private finance initiative whereby the centre would be built by a developer and the trust would become a tenant on a long-term lease.

Mr Chrisp said they were drawing up a feasibility study, which would be ready after Christmas.

This would come back to the board for approval and then the project would go out to tender. The new centre, catering for 3,500 patients and with two GPs, would open in October.

Sandra Pollard, chairman of the PCT, said: "This is good news, particularly for the patients and staff in Park Place."

The decision was made two months after the new £1m Parkgate surgery opened in the town. It was developed by Jarvis Health Care Protection for 12,000 patients in the Victoria Road area and is rented from Jarvis by the PCT.

The purpose-built building was opened in October. It has eight consulting rooms, counselling facilities, a baby clinic, nurse accommodation, a conference suite and kitchen.