A £2.2M health centre was unveiled in an official ceremony yesterday.

People in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the Eden Centre since plans for the project were announced two years ago.

As well as being home to two doctors' surgeries, it offers a wealth of services including a dentist, facilities for children through SureStart, ante-natal and post-natal classes, health visitors and minor surgery clinics.

The Victoria Lane site had created cause for concern when health authority staff pulled out of the old health centre due to a spate of vandalism and violence.

Leader of Wear Valley District Council, Neil Stonehouse, opened the building yesterday and said it was an excellent facility for the villages of Coundon and Leeholme, where he is also the ward councillor.

He said: "At one point, there was a real fear among villagers that the doctors would pull out and people would have to go to Bishop Auckland, but now we have a superb facility.

"Today's opening is a powerful statement of the commitment of the local statutory agencies to invest their energies into the continued improvement within Coundon and Leeholme.

"It is a splendid building inside and out, and will become a landmark within the village and hopefully it will become the hub of the community.''

Money for the project came from Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT), SureStart Wear Valley East and the General Practice Finance Corporation.

It was kickstarted by two doctors' surgeries - Station View Medical Practice and Bishopgate Medical Practice - which applied for the funding with support from the PCT.

Burgess and Hyder Dental Practice and SureStart Wear Valley East have made the project complete.

Karina Dare, capital and service development manager for the PCT, said: "The Eden Centre will be a valuable resource for the PCT and partner organisations in helping to improve access to health services locally."