Major changes in the way Aycliffe Young People's Centre in County Durham is run may be on the cards.

The news follows confirmation that the Centre's Trustees, a key element in current management arrangements, may decide to stand down as a body at the end of the year.

And that might pave the way for Durham County Council to bring the Centre under even closer direct control of the Children and Family branch of its Social Services Department.

The existing management arrangements at the Centre are complex. Although, broadly speaking, it is 'run' by Durham County Council which is ultimately responsible for the Centre and the services it provides, it is entirely self financing and receives no funding from the Authority.

Its day-to-day activities are overseen by a Board of Managers, 12 of whom are County Councillors and six of whom are Trustees who, under a statutory legal document drawn up more than 50 years ago, are responsible for land and buildings on the Aycliffe site on behalf of the Department of Health.

But Durham County Council has received a letter from the Chairman of the Trustees saying they were considering giving notice of their intention to withdraw their services at the end of the year in the hope that the statutory instrument of management would then be reviewed by the Department for Health.