NEW plans to build a heritage museum for north Durham have been outlined, the Northern Echo can reveal.

Derwentside District Council officers have drawn up a report outlining the possibility of a museum and are planning a feasibility study into a partnership with the Derwentdale History Society.

Two well-known buildings, one in Stanley the other in the Consett area, are being looked at to house the museum, but have not yet been named.

Tommy Moore, chairman of the history society, said it was too early to estimate how much the museum would cost, but he said it would chart the history of the area from prehistoric times and focus on what life was like in the area's coal pits and the Consett steelworks.

Virtual reality recreations would be a prominent feature of the museum, which was originally part of the plans for the Genesis Business Park built on the steelworks site.

Mr Moore said: "At this stage, all our attention is on getting the money in place for the feasibility study.

"We have had several meetings with members of the council about it.

"I have no doubt the study will go ahead and believe we will eventually have a first-class heritage museum.

"All of us at the history society have worked on this very hard for a long time, and we are already members of North-East Museum Service. We would hope to work with Beamish museum on the project."

Alex Watson, leader of the council, also said it was still early days.

He said: "Clearly there is a need for a heritage museum here, and the whole idea is part of our tourism initiative. We are being as supportive as we can be to the history society on this."