A DAMNING report into Darlington's library provision urges councillors to give urgent attention to building a new complex in the north of the town.

The document, which was written by a review group set up to investigate how Darlington Borough Council's library standards compare with neighbouring authorities, says proposals for a new library needs to be "included in future budgets and visions".

The report reveals that the council's lack of libraries means it is failing to meet 13 of the 30 Public Library Standards set out by the Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Darlington has two static libraries, in Crown Street and Cockerton, compared with 13 in Redcar and Cleveland, 12 in Middlesbrough, 11 in Stockton and seven in Hartlepool.

The report says: "It is recognised that, due to the lack of static libraries, Darlington cannot compare to the Tees Valley performance."

Only 53 per cent of households are within a mile of a library in Darlington, compared with the Public Library Standard of 88 per cent.

The report says Darlington will be unable to reach Government standards unless more static libraries are provided.

But it says that the standards are under review and are likely to focus more on quality than quantity in the future, which could improve Darlington's score.

The group also found that the authority's mobile library was in disrepair and needed replacing urgently, at a cost of £130,000.

The e-library in Crown Street, which costs £30,000 a year to run, may have to close or reduce its opening hours because there is no money to support it in the authority's budget.

The report pointed out that Darlington was undertaking some innovative schemes to improve library provision.

They include plans for story sack libraries at the new Skerne Park Primary School and Maidendale House Community Centre, in Firthmoor.

The council also wants to persuade Darlington College of Technology to allow its library to become a community facility