COUNCILLORS will next week discuss plans for a raft of changes to parking arrangements in a North-East town.

A special meeting of Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will be held on September 25, at which the proposals are expected to be approved.

It is planned to introduce a lower rate of 50p per hour in four of the less well-used council-run car parks – those at East Street, Garden Street, Upper Archer Street and Chesnut Street.

Town hall officials want to encourage visitors to stay in the town centre for longer, in the run-up to the busy Christmas period and beyond.

Parking has long been a subject for heated debate in Darlington, with some town centre traders bitterly critical of the council's policies in recent months.

The Northern Echo broke news of the planned changes earlier this week, with the depth of feeling on the issue underlined by the fact more than 120 comments have been made on the online version of that story.

A report prepared for cabinet members recommends the introduction of an extra hour of free parking for drivers paying for two or more hours, to start in November and run until spring 2016.

Also proposed is:

* The standardisation of parking charges in Abbots Yard, in line with other busy town centre car parks;

* A temporary park and ride scheme between Darlington College and the town centre;

* The reinstatement of electronic roadside signage showing the number of spaces available in town centre car parks.

The cabinet meets at 5.15pm, at the town hall, directly before a meeting of the full council.