VISIONARY proposals to help regenerate a Darlington estate have been revealed.

Plans for a £1.2m Firthmoor Community Centre have been unveiled in artists' drawings.

Developers are now being asked to tender for work on the centre, which will stand on land bordered by Burnside Road and Firthmoor Crescent.

It will replace a complex nearby.

Planning permission was gained after months of hard work by members of the local community, supported by organisations including Darlington Borough Council.

Councillor Roderick Francis, chairman of the Firthmoor community management committee, said: "This is exciting. Firthmoor has had a bad reputation, but that is starting to change. People can see that the community centre is buzzing."

The new centre will offer a range of services, including:

* A playschool, and education programmes run by Darlington College of Technology, Learn Direct and the Workers' Educational Association. The centre plans to work closely with neighbouring Firthmoor Primary School, which moved into its new building last week.

* A cafe run by the Firthmoor Association for Community Enterprise, a charity based next to the community centre, on Burnside Road

* Arts and leisure clubs, including fishing and dance clubs. A new youth club is also being considered.

* A credit union.

* Health services, including a baby clinic and foot clinic. Two doctors' practices are showing interest in setting up.

Coun Francis, who represents the area on the borough council, said: "We need to sustain the centre and not just have a new building for the sake of it. The idea is that the new centre is a one-stop shop. Among our priorities are education, including improving literacy on the estate, and health."