DARLINGTON Borough Council has pledged to recruit more staff to deal with conservation issues after it was criticised by a group set up to investigate conservation.

It said there was a lack of staff at the right levels and that greater communication with the public was needed. The group insisted that monitoring of the town's historic environment was essential.

Cabinet member for economic regeneration, Councillor David Lyonette, said: "It does highlight some of the problems we have had."