COUNCIL housing in Darlington could be modernised to encourage people to take on unpopular accommodation.

The borough council has decided to change the way it allocates housing to increase demand for its properties.

Some work has already been done to improve the demand for council houses but there are further plans to make council properties attractive to tenants.

Among the recommendations is a plan to make it possible for housing officers to turn down people for certain houses if someone else, further down the waiting list, is better suited for a particular area.

There could also be a one stop shop created in the town's housing centre which would market low demand properties.