DETAILED plans for a £34m education village in Darlington are being drawn up.

Darlington Borough Council said developers have begun drafting their vision for the 14-hectare development, on the site of Haughton Comprehensive School in Rockwell Avenue.

Outline planning permission for the campus is set to be approved this week under delegated powers.

The succesful developer will be named in September and the education village should be open by 2005.

"People are now putting together their ideas on that," said a council spokesman. "After September it will be all systems go."

The 'super school' will be the first of its kind in the country built using a Private Finance Initiative and will amalgamate three schools - Haughton comprehensive, Springfield primary and Beaumont Hill Special School.

Consultation about the plan, including a local exhibition and letters to residents, has been carried out.

The only objection, so far, is from the Darlington West Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is concerned that access to the site on Salters Lane South will increase traffic and prevent members from parking during meetings at nearby Kingdom Hall.

Traffic-calming measures and improvements for pedestrians on that road are expected as part of the plan.

The successful bidder will also have to submit a school travel plan and cycling schemes.

Officers have recommended that outline approval is given, subject to a number of conditions which include provision of a sports pitch and disabled parking.