RESIDENTS are hoping a new half a million pound Community Arcade will breathe new life into their town.

The New Shildon Residents Association has been working on the plans for the new centre since 1998 and is now in negotiations with Sedgefield Borough Council to find an appropriate location.

Dedicated volunteers on the Community Arcade Steering Committee have come up with detailed plans for the scheme after asking people living in the New Shildon area what facilities they would most like to have.

The plans - which map out areas for retail use, a small caf, Internet facilities, a kitchen and health support area to name a few - were displayed at the town's annual carnival last month.

Chairman of the Association David Snell said that the project had received a great response from locals.

He said: "We want to have as many opinions as possible including the negative because we want to get this right.

"We have already had interest from doctors, vets and retail outlets. These plans are not the final draft, they may change but this is an idea of what we are looking for."

Mr Snell, who lives in Redworth Road, in Shildon, said the association is anxious that the new facility should not detract from businesses in the town centre or the newly-built Jubilee Fields Community Centre on the town's Jubilee Estate. He said: "We want something that will enhance the facilities and make Shildon a place where people want to visit."

The residents are very keen to make the building as environmentally friendly as possible and are even toying with the idea of having a grass roof as well as incorporating some sort of solar power.

Mr Snell said: "There are other places that have grass roofs - it is not as rare as it sounds. We have talked to the architect about it and it is a possibility."

The residents have earmarked land between Chapel Street and the Locomotive pub and are in negotiations with Sedgefield Borough Council, which owns the land. The next stage will be to apply for funding from Lottery organisations.

A spokesman for Sedgefield Borough Council said the idea was to be discussed at the meeting of the Cabinet today (Thursday).