A RURAL parish council is investigating the possibility of changing the size of its boundary.

Archdeacon Newton Parish, on the outskirts of Darlington, began examining the idea of reverting back to a parish meeting in February.

A report by chairman Norman Welch said the meeting was formed in 1978 for an entirely rural area of about 40 residents in 14 farm dwellings.

But as the nearby High Grange housing development progressed, the electorate became more urban and rose to 317 residents, and the meeting was replaced by an elected parish council three years ago.

Several applications submitted to Darlington Borough Council to remove High Grange from the parish were unsuccessful.

The council was concerned because a third of the urban area is in the parish and, in several streets, half the houses come under the parish and the rest do not.

Borough solicitor Luke Swinhoe said that it would be possible to change the boundary and revert back to a parish meeting.

The council agreed to make an informal approach to join neighbouring Walworth and report back at the next meeting on September 19.