A FARMER whose business is suffering from the after-effects of the foot-and-mouth epidemic is considering selling off a building for use as a residential home.

The trustees of the Honourable S P Scott Children's Trust have made an outline application to Darlington Borough Council to convert the building at Town Farm, Great Stainton, Darlington.

PLAY AREA: The final report on details for a disabled play park in Darlington will go before cabinet shortly. On Tuesday, a meeting of Darlington Borough Council's social affairs and health and environment scrutiny committees agreed to the construction of an integrated play area in North Lodge Park, subject to securing external funding. The play area will enable children with a range of disabilities to play with their friends and siblings.

CONCERT DATE: The public will have a chance to see many of the competitors from this year's Darlington Festival for Performing Arts in a concert at Heathfield Primary School, Darlington, on Saturday, April 27, at 7pm. For details call (01325) 482613 or visit the website at www.communigate.co. uk/ne/festival

OPEN DAY: Darlington's new nursery school, Kiddies Corner, opens on Saturday at 66 Cleveland Avenue, with an open day from 10am to noon.

OFFICE PLAN: Plans for six office units in Lingfield Way, Darlington, have been submitted to the borough council.

TEACHER INQUEST: An inquest into the death of teacher Barbara Ramshaw, whose car hit a lamppost on the A689 in High West Road, Crook, on Monday night, is due to open in Bishop Auckland tomorrow. Mrs Ramshaw, from Fir Tree, worked part time at Willington Parkside School.

CENTRE COLLECTION: Members of the Staindrop Christmas lights committee held a collection in Darlington town centre on April 6 to raise funds for the Alexandra Rose Day. A total of £118.67 was raised.

MINING DISPLAY: A three-day exhibition of mining memorabilia marking the 120th anniversary of an explosion at Tudhoe Colliery, Spennymoor, opens in Spennymoor Town Hall today, from 10am to 4pm.

RECYCLING AID: People recycling glass in Teesdale no longer have to sort bottles by colour. The company emptying the district's bottle banks has gone into liquidation and the task has been taken over by a company which has a £600,000 machine that sorts by colour automatically.

MUSIC SUCCESSES: Pupils of music teacher Terence Lawson, of Newton Aycliffe, successful in recent examinations were: Singing- Danielle Calcutt, grade 1; Rebecca Barnes, Lindsey Potter and Tammie Potter, grade two; Carol Howes and Elizabeth Edmonds, grade three. Piano - Jessica Hannah, grade one; Joseph Burge, grade four.