A POPULAR community centre on a deprived Worcester estate has won planning permission for a £500,000 revamp.

Work can now start on extending the Tolladine Community Centre on the site of Christchurch, in Rowan Avenue.

Local residents and businesses have raised tens of thousands of pounds for the planned extension.

But the fund recently received a cash boost of almost £300,000 from the Government's Sure Start scheme.

Plans for the centre include a crche, caf, a dedicated space for a youth club and meeting rooms.

At a meeting of the city council's planning committee, the proposals were unanimously backed by members.

"People in Tolladine have been waiting donkey's years for a proper centre there," said Councillor Paul Denham.

"These plans are very welcome indeed. They will provide people in the area with a centre they can be proud of and the sooner it is built, the better."

Coun Jo Hodges agreed. "This will provide additional space in a building that is very well-used," she said.

"The plans will make the building look much softer as well, so it will be a pleasure to look at."

It is hoped that building work will start on the site in July and the vicar of Tolladine, the Rev Dr Jeni Parsons, said all the activities currently run in the centre would be found a temporary venue while the work was carried out.

But Mrs Parsons said the revamp had been a long time coming.

"People in Tolladine feel they have been promised things for years that have never materialised," she said.

"The backing of this project now means that at last someone has realised that they need to ask the people of Tolladine what they want and work with them to produce it."