Darlington Football Club has unveiled exciting proposals for a new Community Sporting and Educational Village on redundant land at the Darlington Arena.

The £12 million scheme will be put to Darlington Borough Council after a thorough local consultation process has been undertaken.

Residents, fans and community representatives will be able to see the plans at a special exhibition in the foyer of the Darlington Arena for a number of weeks from 22 March 2007.

The proposals are designed to boost the availability of educational and community sports facilities in Darlington, and provide vital revenue from commercial rents to underpin the financial development of the Quakers' football team.

The proposals include:

• Five full-size football pitches - one of which will be an all-weather pitch using the latest 'astro-turf'.
• A classroom facility adjacent to the pitches for the delivery of sport based courses allowing DFC to increase the size of its Centre of Excellence to take up to 60 scholars.
• A massive indoor sports facility with the provision of 10 six-a-side football pitches (this will be the largest such indoor facility in the area and will be suitable for many different sports and community uses).
• 100-bed hotel which will supplement the banqueting and conference facilities at the Darlington Arena. In addition, this will be used as a training centre in conjunction with Darlington College to deliver hotel and catering qualifications.
• Education Day Care Centre providing classroom access on the first-floor, coupled with a mixed area of leisure recreation on the ground floor including a bowling alley.
• A suite of restaurants, which includes a 'Family Fun Pub' and a state-of-the-art crèche.
• Office accommodation block facilitating expansion for Darlington Football Club commercially.

George Houghton, Chairman of Darlington Football Club, said: "These exciting proposals have been many months in the making. If they are accepted the financial future of the Quakers will be secured in the long term.

"The Darlington Village will provide vital educational, and much needed incremental sporting facilities, which will enable sport to take its rightful place as a force for good in the local community.

"The provision of classroom facilities, five new full-size pitches, impressive indoor sporting facilities, a nursery and a specialist hotel training centre can be afforded because the proposals strike a balance between community and commercial use.

"Everyone at Darlington Football Club is interested in the thoughts of our neighbors, fans and sponsors and we will take their views into account before submitting the proposals to the council.

"This is the type of development that is needed if Darlington is to live up to its position as the key town that links the North and South on the main road and rail arteries of the UK."

Proposal Plan.
Proposal Images: One, Two, Three, Four.
Proposal Video.