A FORMER youth building in Neston could be turned into a new community centre as part of Neston's regeneration.

The proposal is one of several key projects being led by the borough council as part of the Neston Market Town Initiative's £1m investment in the area.

Plans, created with funding from the North West Development Agency, will be formally submitted to the council's planning committee in the next few weeks.

If permission is granted it would see the former youth centre in Burton Road demolished and replaced with a new building, which would become a community facility and venue for both young and old.

A capital contribution from the council, worth more than £400,000, will enable the scheme to become a reality.

The new centre, which could be open as soon as March 2008, will become a venue for lifelong learning courses during the day and activities for young people in the evenings and at weekends and holidays.

Mike Worden, the borough's planning policy and projects unit manager, said: 'A design brief has been finalised and we are working closely with potential users and partners such as the Youth Service, West Cheshire College, representatives of the Initiative and the Youth Centre Management Committee.'

The council and the Initiative are also jointly putting together a scheme for improving shop fronts in Neston town centre.

Sophie Norton, the borough's newly appointed building conservation officer, is drawing up guidelines for the design of the new shop fronts.

When the scheme goes live later this year, applications will be invited from shopkeepers and business owners who want to improve their properties.

Successful applicants will be offered a grant to help them carry out improvements in accordance with the guidelines.

* Businesses can register their interest by calling Miss Norton on 0151 356 6670 or Claire Maclaine, Initiative project manager, on 0151 336 3991.