A NEW learning centre could be coming to improve educational opportunities for a Teesside community.

The city learning centre would be built on the site of a hockey pitch at Gillbrook Technology College, in Normanby Road, South Bank.

It would be a single-story building, with seminar rooms, computer facilities, and an auditorium. The college says it no longer uses the hockey pitch as it has access to all-weather facilities at Eston Leisure Centre.

This is the only site on which the centre could be built, because otherwise it would encroach on to playing pitches.

The project would provide some open space for informal use by local children.

Parents in the area believe this is important because the land is highly visible from Normanby Road, making it more secure than recreational areas further away.

Hilary Ellis, principal of Gillbrook Technology College, said city learning centres were designed to improve educational facilities for communities in big inner city conurbations.

Last July, Teesside qualified for the scheme, and if everything goes according to plan, there will be a city learning centre in Middlesbrough, one in Hartlepool, and two in Stockton.

The Eston centre would primarily serve the communities attached to Gillbrook, Eston Park and St Peter's schools, and would cost about £1.2m.

It would be open out of school hours to improve educational opportunities for the wider community.

Members of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee are expected to refer the application to the Government Office for the North-East because the scheme involves open space.

The committee meets tomorrow.