A DERELICT building, earmarked for demolition, would make a great community centre, that's according to the people living on the estate nearby.

The block of four flats, on the Savick estate, is an eyesore and because tenants who move in quickly move out, the city council has decided to flatten it.

But the Larches and Savick community association has other plans. Its members are hoping to save the boarded-up building off Heywood Road, and use it to breath life into the community, making it a meeting place for their group with activities for local youths.

The plan would be an ironic twist in the saga of the neglected building which in the past has attracted youngsters who have committed petty crime and vandalism there.

PC Andy McVittie, community beat manager for the area, said: "They have been standing empty for quite some time. They're in an area that isn't overlooked by any other houses.

"It's a bit out of the way and they do get vandalised quite often. Kids try and get into them, so this idea would be brilliant. It would give them something to do."

Peter Cassidy, licensee of the New Savick pub, said his pub had been vandalised recently with windows smashed and children climbing on the roof.

He said: "What these kids have is boundless energy and they just want to get rid of it.

"I think the area is in dire need of something that will keep the kids off the streets and getting into bother."

Andy Lee, leader of the community association, is spearheading the drive.

He said: "The trouble is they're not hard to let, but they're hard to keep let. Because they're behind the shops it's a bit of an isolated spot, and it's also a bit of a meeting place for young people.

"They've suffered the usual problems -- smashed windows and rubbish in the gardens. Everybody on Savick is fed up of the state of the place round those buildings."

If the plan gets the go-ahead, the four flats, which are in a cul-de-sac behind the estate's main shopping area, would be transformed into a community centre.

Activities would be laid on similar to those laid on by the association in Larches where a successful boxing club has been set up, and the levels of juvenile crime fell.

Larches ward councillor Danny Gallagher said the building was a 'golden opportunity'.

Coun Gallagher said: "It's a sound building at the end of the day that can be converted for use by the community."

A spokesman for the council said: "It's an interesting idea that's only just been suggested, so we'll have to

look into it and consider all the various options. Any decision on the future of the site will be taken in consultation with the local community."