COUNCILLORS have sought to reassure residents that they will be consulted over plans for a housing complex for drug and alcohol addicts.

Darlington Borough Council has been working with charities and health groups to provide a £1m town centre facility for people recovering from drink and drugs addictions.

A bid for a Housing Corporation grant to help finance the project will be made soon and, if successful, work on the housing scheme could start by next April.

A site close to the town centre is being sought - but councillors say they understand that the idea could cause local "uproar".

The scheme came about after a lack of housing for people with substance misuse problems was identified as an area of concern by the Darlington Drugs and Alcohol Action Team.

At a meeting of the council's social affairs and health scrutiny committee, members backed plans for the 12-unit supported accommodation facility.

Councillor Ian Hazeldine said: "I think this is a brilliant idea, but residents must be kept informed.

"You only have to look at the uproar in town when something similar was going to be built. That will be nowhere near the anger levels this will create."

Pauline Mitchell, the council's head of housing, said she was aware of the sensitivity surrounding the project.

Teesside-based Endeavour Housing Association has been brought in to lead the scheme.

Mrs Mitchell said: "We have deliberately brought in an organisation with experience in this type of accommodation and we are hoping to identify an area where there are few residential properties.

"We experience problems with substance misuse in our properties at the moment. This well be significantly reduced by this type of scheme. It won't solve everybody's problems overnight, but it will reduce them."

If the project is successful, the council may look to a similar scheme to help abusers under the age of 18.

Recent research showed that drug use among homeless people in the town could be as high as 88 per cent and that as many as 39 addicts are in need of supported accommodation.