PLANS for a new library costing tens of thousands of pounds have been unveiled for Stanley.

Durham County Council wants to build a library at the old Stanley Board School, now a county council social security office, on Stanley Front Street.

The current library, off the town's ring road, on High Street, is considered to be too far out of the town centre.

The county council unveiled its plans to the Stanley Action Group Enterprise (Sage) at a meeting earlier this week.

A detailed feasibility study is being prepared, which will be put before the county council's cabinet committee in the autumn.

If, as expected, the cabinet agrees to the scheme, it is hoped the new library will be completed within two years.

A statement from the county council said: "The council has supported this in principle for the past four years.

"We agree that the current library is in an unsuitable position, and the council has long favoured the town centre.

"The availability of the site on Front Street has presented the possibility of doing just that.

"We are still investigating costings. It is important to note that the final decision is still to be made.

"It is a project the authority is keen to move forward, but until all options, such as costings, have been studied it would premature to say it will certainly go ahead."

Sage chairman Maureen Storey welcomed the plans, and described the news as positive.

"We were asked if we wanted to keep the facade of the building, which we would," she said.

"The other thing which we thought was good was the fact that the people would be able to walk into the social security office without feeling any stigma, because they could just as easily be going to the library."

Derwentside District Council is expecting to hear soon if the National Lottery agent Sport England will grant a £3.5m bid to build a swimming pool in the town.