PLANS for a pedestrian haven in Darlington will come under scrutiny next week.

Darlington Borough Council has revealed radical proposals to ban traffic from the main shopping area.

But the scheme hit an obstacle in July when the authority reported difficulty finding a design consultant to carry out planning work.

Members of the council's tendering panel are expected to award the contract for creating the pedestrian zone on Tuesday. The decision will be made in a private session.

The scheme will see buses and taxis banned from the four main streets in the town.

The areas that would be pedestrianised are Prospect Place, the south end of Northgate, High Row and Skinnergate.

Public consultation on the project could get under way in spring.