A COUNCIL is a step nearer to taking action to prevent motorists from parking illegally at a taxi rank in the centre of Darlington.

Darlington Borough Council wants to adopt an area around the town's Covered Market as a public highway, in a bid to stop people parking their vehicles on the site.

The council's cabinet meeting on Tuesday heard taxi drivers had complained that their business was being affected because they could not always get access to the rank.

The meeting was told that the problems were caused because the land was used as a taxi rank from 6pm each day.

Motorists leave their vehicles beyond this time, and taxi drivers say this forces them to double park and obstruct East Row. The responsibility for enforcing the rank falls on the council and, because the land is classed as a public footway, it is difficult for police to assist in the enforcement.

The taxi drivers took their complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Although the council was found not to be at fault, it was recognised that the problem needed to be addressed.

The council now wants to adopt the land as a public highway, which would allow police to issue penalty notices to vehicles parked on the taxi rank or obstructing loading areas.

Members of the cabinet agreed that the council should adopt the land, and the matter will now be considered by the ratification committee on September 5.