DEVELOPERS hoping to create a multi-million pound footballing school of excellence have warned they could pull out of the town altogether if planning permission is refused.

The former Cummins Engines factory in Yarm Road, Darlington, has been selected for a Soccer Dome development by JJB Sports, which would create about 400 jobs.

Darlington Borough Council has received an application for planning permission for the 180,000 sq ft development, and have begun consultation about the scheme.

High Point Estates, which owns the factory, said last night that Darlington had been chosen for the project because of the rare opportunities which was presented by the former Cummins building.

Without the building, the company said, Darlington would not be the preferred choice for the development.

Demi Chervak, of High Point Estates, said: "This is a unique opportunity for Darlington to establish a footballing school of excellence that will contribute to establishing Darlington as a presence on the football map.

"The community benefits are considerable, and we look forward to playing our part in the exciting development."

The Soccer Dome is a JJB Sports concept offering a top class football centre, comprising indoor and outdoor pitches - both full-size and for five-a-side games.

If council permission is given, JJB hopes to make the Darlington soccer dome one of the largest of its kind in the UK.

All football pitches will be available to local schools, and will form the centrepiece of a football academy that will introduce children to sport, and focus on developing a sports culture to help train, encourage and identify local children with the skills to become football stars of the future.

Schools will have free use of the football facilities in term- time, between 9am and 4pm.

A spokeswoman for Darlington council said last night: "It is early days and we have to look at it carefully and the consultation process has to be adhered to.

"There are a significant number of planning issues, including the substantial amount of retail on the site, and we need more details about this before the application is considered."

Developers fear the plan could be rejected because the site is not part of the retail land earmarked in Darlington's Local Plan, which is the blueprint for the town's future.