FACILITIES for sport and the arts in East Durham are to get a major boost this week with the opening of a £716,000 development at Seaham.

Durham County Councillor Alan Fenwick is to open the new multi-sports hall and arts room at Ropery Walk Primary School tomorrow.

The facilities, funded jointly by Durham County Council and regional development agency One NorthEast, are already being used by pupils.

They are hosting a wide range of sport, music and art classes, with support from many community groups and organisations.

Facilities include a modern sports hall, a multi-purpose games area, changing facilities, a classroom and an office.

The development comes at a time when £134m is being spent by the Government and from the National Lottery to improve inadequate facilities and widen access to sport and art in communities with the greatest need around the country.

About 300 primary schools in 65 education authority areas across the country have benefited from this funding.

Ropery Walk Primary School is one of eight schools in County Durham that have been awarded grants to develop modern facilities for sports and arts, most of them through the Space for Sport and Arts programme.

Headteacher Simon Marshall said: "We are delighted to have the new facilities on our school site for the children we teach and for the many local people who want to participate in sport, enjoy the arts and be part of this thriving community.

"They allow us to teach many different aspects of the PE curriculum in a warm, safe and enjoyable environment for learning, and provide lots of new activities outside school hours for our pupils."

County council cabinet member for children's services, Councillor Neil Foster, said: "This type of investment enables the young people of Seaham to participate in PE, sport and the arts.

"The high quality of facilities involved encourages them to start to get involved, to stay involved and ultimately to reach their full potential. It is money very well spent."