DESIGNS for a new children's centre in the grounds of a primary school have been criticised.

The building, which is part of a £1.5m scheme for Government initiative SureStart Shildon and Newton Aycliffe West, has been described as a bland-looking shed by members of Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee.

Councillors said they welcomed the much-needed service that the project will offer, but said that the design of the building, which will be located in the grounds of Timothy Hackworth Primary School, Shildon, was not in keeping with the area.

Particular attention was drawn to the proposed aluminium roof.

Councillor Brian Hall said: "While Timothy Hackworth School is not a listed building, it is an attractive old building and this new one is not in keeping with that or the surrounding area. There should be some sort of planning restriction put on it."

Concerns were also expressed about the volume of traffic that the project would generate to an already congested area.

The new centre will cater for parents and families with children under the age of five and will house three nurseries, a meeting room, toilets, offices, kitchen and a consulting room.

Its creation has been anticipated in the town with great enthusiasm by parents.

Councillor Ina Smith said that she welcomed the new centre, which is a Durham County Council development, but said the design of the new building was disappointing.

She said: "There is definitely a need for this service in Shildon and I welcome it, but do they really have to make it look like a shed?

"If this had been our own development, we would have been pressing for more traditional materials."

A spokesman for Durham County Council and SureStart said: "The provision of SureStart facilities in Shildon was designed against a background of much limited resources.

"Had a more complex design or more expensive materials been used, it would have had a detrimental impact on the scale of provision that has been achieved.

"However, the building is a traditional brick wall and tiled roof construction and does not involve the use of tin or aluminium cladding."