Members of Northumberland County Council's (NCC) executive have approved a series of recommendations for the creation of new community and leisure facilities in Ashington.

A report put before the committee called for up to £20m worth of investment in a new-build or fully-refurbished multi-use leisure centre, which would also house other services. Ashington already incorporates a leisure centre; a NCC customer service point; a registrar's office; and a library - many of which require investment to meet local needs.

Work has been carried out to explore opportunities open to existing facilities, with the report proposing the amalgamation of services under one roof if a suitable site is found. NCC executive member for customer relations and culture Neil Bradbury said: "By putting all the services of the council under one roof, we can get a real 'win win' result of improving services and making long term efficiency savings."