A BUILDER is being urged to take steps to save a dance floor from the skip.

About 800 tea and line dance fans have signed a petition calling for Redcar Leisure Centre's dance floor to be retained in a £45m makeover of Redcar seafront.

They rate it as one of the best in the North-East and conveyed those concerns at a public meeting arranged with Persimmon Homes, which is to redevelop the 35-acre Coatham Enclosure in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland Council.

The range of pleasure arcades, leisure and bowling centre and paddling pool are to be redeveloped as "a major visitor attraction" with houses built alongside.

"The dance floor is obviously a key aspiration of the community and our intention will be to work closely with Persimmon Homes to ensure we can attempt to facilitate that," said Ian Hopley, the council's project manager.

Simon Usher, Persimmon Homes land and planning manager, said: "The issues raised warrant further consideration in respect of how to create the right ambience and satisfactory floor material for dancing and we will be looking into those issues in due course.

"It's important to us that we provide the right facilities for people who are currently using the site as well as attracting new people.''