YOUNG people are set to benefit from a new youth centre in a major project costing up to £350,000.

Members of Adlington Town Council are working hard to secure funds for a multi-purpose youth and community centre to be built in the next year in Highfield Road.

The single-storey facility, which will be built on the site of the former village tip, will cover 330 square feet and is one of the largest scale projects in Adlington for many years.

There are no permanent places for young people from the village to meet at the moment and despite the efforts of part-time outreach workers employed by Lancashire County Council, many youngsters have nothing to do in the evenings and at weekends.

A youth centre committee was set up as far back as 1996, but progress in securing funds and a site has been difficult.

Developer Westbury Homes has now bought the proposed site and it is hoped they will contribute towards the overall cost of the youth centre which could be at least £350,000.

Cllr Jeanette Lowe has been campaigning for a youth centre to be built for many years and is relieved to finally see architects' plans being drawn-up.

She said: "It is a very large project and has taken years to start up, but there finally seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

"The next stage will be sorting out the final cost of the building."

The centre, which will be aimed at youths aged 11-25, is to be partitioned to allow for group work to go on at the same time as discos and there will also be changing rooms and a five-a-side outdoor kick pitch.

Thanks to the efforts of the Adlington community, £8,000 has already been raised towards the cost of buying equipment for the finished centre.