A dilapidated community centre which is a discarded portable building from Heathrow Airport could be replaced by a new building - if planners agree.

Plans to replace the 20-year-old community centre in Windhill, Shipley, with a state-of-the-art facility have been submitted to Bradford Council.

The planning application follows a consultation exercise with users of the centre which is housed in a temporary building in Church Street, Shipley.

Bradford architects Priest Woodward Associates have drawn up the plans, which show an L-shaped building with a community garden and car parking on the vacant land next to the existing centre.

It would include a large and a small hall, a Co-op food store, a meeting area, an advice centre, a computer room, a creche and an inside and outside play area.

The current centre, which is managed by the North East Windhill Community Associa-tion, would be demolished.

Community development worker Kath Quinn said: "We have been very concerned about the current building because we have quite a lot of damp in the fabric of the building - we had three buckets in one room catching drips when it rains - and it is not always suitable for activities people want to put on.

"It was 20 years old when we got it, and it has already had to be re-roofed.

"We are hoping a new centre will encourage people to get involved."

A fun day was held at the centre this summer for people to look at the plans and express preferences on the style of the building.

The plans will now be considered by Shipley Area Planning Panel.

Ward councillor Tony Miller (Lab, Windhill & Wrose) said: "I think it is absolutely excellent news.

"This is the best bit of news for Windhill for quite a long time.

"I remember when the original building was brought from the airport to its original site, and it had a limited life then. It has far exceeded that."

He said the number of projects which now operated from the centre, including the Windhill Futures Group, a partnership between the community association and the adjacent Christ Church, the furniture store which offers discounted furniture for low income families and the food co-operative, meant a larger facility needed to be built.

The scheme has attracted £500,000 through Shipley East PACT, which administers European funding for the area, and £70,000 from the Govern-ment initiative Shipley Sure-start.

And the centre has submitted a lottery bid for £200,000 to complete the scheme.

If planning permission is granted, and the bids are successful, it is hoped the building work will start next summer.

Plans to replace the centre were mooted ten years ago and the community association, alongside the Windhill Futures Group, have been working since then to bring them to fruition.