PLANS have been made to build a state-of-the-art £400,000 children's centre for north York.

City of York Council hopes to build a children's centre at Haxby Road Primary School as well as improve the existing school building by creating a new reception area.

It is part of a £2.9 million programme for eight primary schools across the city to be earmarked to have Sure Start Children's Centres by 2008.

Currently there are three primary schools involved in becoming Integrated Children's Centres for the city - Hob Moor has been opened while work is on-going at Westfield, Clifton Green, and Tang Hall primaries.

Haxby Road, St Lawrence's, in Heslington Road, New Earswick, and Carr Infants and Juniors in Acomb have also been selected and are now in the next wave.

There are 250 youngsters at Haxby Road School and head teacher Nick Long said the children's centre will make a world of difference for the local community.

Haxby Road was built about 100 years ago and has listed building status.

The first thing that will happen, if the plans get the go-ahead, is a new reception area will be built so it is easier for parents to access the school on foot.

This will free-up the existing reception area and office space to be converted as part of the children's centre as well as a new single-storey reception added.

The new centre will be used by the community and provide space for a family learning area, after school clubs, community groups, health visitors and other health professionals.

Mr Long said: "We have battled long and hard to have something like this at the school because it's needed.

"We just need somewhere that's more central for the parents and the children we serve, so that they don't have to travel miles to access these kind of facilities."

Under the Government's five-year strategy for children and learners, schools are being encouraged to stay open for longer hours, setting up breakfast clubs, after-school activities and holiday play schemes to help hard-working parents with childcare.

Last week The Press reported that the finishing touches were being made to the children's centre at Clifton Green School.

The children's centre will see Sure Start, the family support team that was previously based at the family centre in Clifton, the Little Acorns neighbourhood nursery, health visitors, family learning tutors and Job Centre Plus advisors located together in an impressive purpose-built facility.

Meanwhile last month, York's first children's centre, Hob Moor, was opened by Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, Britain's most successful paralympic athlete.

The centre, in Acomb, is believed to be the first in the country to house a special needs school and a mainstream primary school under one roof.

The Haxby Road planning application is expected to go before councillors next month.