PLANS for a multi-million pound sports complex, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool, could fall foul of planning policies.

East Durham and Houghall Community College is drawing up plans to build the centre at Houghall Agricultural College, between Durham City and Shincliffe Village, near Durham University's Maiden Castle sports centre.

The college, which merged with its smaller agricultural counterpart two years ago, has opened pioneering football, basketball and judo academies at its Howletch site in Peterlee.

Now it is proposing to build a £7m centre, featuring a 50 metre pool, tennis courts, five-a-side football pitch and badminton courts.

The college says an Olympic-sized pool would save the region's competitive swimmers having to travel outside the region to train.

But the Houghall site lies in countryside that Durham City Council plans to designate as green belt, which will restrict development in the area.

A council spokeswoman said: "Earlier this year we had preliminary discussions about tennis courts and an equestrian centre, and we are awaiting requested drawings from the college's newly-appointed architects.

"A new swimming pool for the city has been a priority for the council for some time. We are actively seeking good locations for it.

"However, Houghall College lies in an area proposed as green belt and, as such, there are a number of sensitive planning issues surrounding it.

"Any application would have to be subject to intensive detailed consideration and consultation."

College principal Ian Prescott says he believes there is a market for a pool that could be used for training by elite swimmers and ordinary members of the public.

He says he is confident that, despite the site being in a sensitive area, an acceptable scheme can be developed