PLANS for a million-pound sports hall at Darwen Vale High School which would also be available for the community have been unveiled.

The facilities are intended for the school and as a potential replacement for Darwen Leisure Centre's sports hall.

In a separate £9million development, the leisure centre is being replaced with a state-of-the-art facility including a swimming pool, gym and aerobics studio.

But the new leisure centre will not have a sports hall and council bosses are trying to plug the gap in services at Darwen Vale.

Blackburn with Darwen department of culture, leisure and sport has applied for outline planning permission for the sports hall, including on-site parking and access improvements.

It would also include the creation of a multi-use games area and various improvements to the existing school sports facilities.

The council has applied for funding for the school sports hall.

Sunnyhurst ward councillor Dave Hollings said: "This development is very important. We are seeing a massive increase in the amount of sports and leisure facilities in various parts of Darwen.

"I would welcome this application wholeheartedly."

But Whitehall councillor Karimeh Foster said she had reservations about the sports hall if it was intended to replace the leisure centre.

She said: "I am not against the building of a sports centre at Darwen Vale because it will help the children and if people in that area want to use the facilities, even better.

"But I still believe that all the sports facilities currently in the leisure centre should remain under one roof in the new centre instead of splitting it all up."

A decision on the plans is expected next month.