A NUMBER of town centre shops could be demolished as part of a £1m regeneration plan.

Derwentside District Council yesterday unveiled its proposals for a bus station in Mary Street, Stanley.

Plans due to be the subject of public consultation suggest knocking down up to five buildings in the town's main shopping area, Front Street.

These include the post office, an estate agent's, a bookmakers and a charity shop.

The units would be bulldozed to make better pedestrian access from the bus station to Front Street. Durham County Council and the district authority are already looking into compulsory purchase orders to move the businesses out.

Leader of Derwentside District Council, Councillor Alex Watson, said: "It is not a foregone conclusion, but we want to make Front Street more attractive and more easily accessible.

"The owners of the buildings have been kept fully informed. They will always be treated fairly and given every consideration if they need to be moved. Nobody will be ignored."

The 18-page document outlines how the bus station, considered by locals to be an eyesore and a crime hotspot, will be levelled, and the land sold to a developer, to build either a retail or leisure centre. "It is a very prominent site and there will be no problem getting somebody to by it," said Coun Watson.

"It has always attracted interest from various business sectors and potential developers will be kept informed."

The new bus station will be on the Mary Street car park. The project will be financed by the sale of the existing station to a retail developer, with a further £300,000 earmarked from the Local Transport Plan.

Council bosses estimate the new station could be open by March 2004 - if plans win approval from Durham County Council's highways department, and the Government grants planning permission.

The plan goes before the district council's development control committee, which meets in Consett Civic Centre, on Thursday, at 2pm.