A COMPLAINT about the way Darlington Borough Council has handled plans to redevelop a park has been made to the Local Government Ombudsman.

The authority has been accused of failing to consult about proposals to build sports pitches, a pavilion and a car park at South Park.

Now an official complaint has been sent to the Ombudsman, who has told the council to investigate it internally. If the matter cannot be resolved it will be referred back to the Ombudsman for a ruling.

The investigation means a public meeting called for by Park East councillors Cyndi Hughes, Joe Lyonette and Glen Reynolds, prior to the authority's planning committee meeting next Wednesday, will not take place.

Coun Hughes said yesterday that the council's chief executive, Barry Keel, had advised that a public meeting should not take place.

"It is disappointing but the matter has been taken out of our hands," she said.

"The very people who would have most welcomed the public meeting are the ones that submitted the complaint to the Ombudsman."

The sports facilities are being offered to the town by the Cleveland Bridge company in exchange for planning permission to build houses on land in Geneva Lane.

An amended version of the plan and a factsheet has been sent to residents of Victoria Embankment and Bedford Street.

People have until Tuesday to make their views known.

* Council workers have begun felling scores of trees in South Park as part of a £3.9m improvement scheme.

Darlington council says it is felling the trees to help to restore the park's Victorian splendour. But some residents say some are being felled unnecessarily.

Former councillor Peter Freitag said: "The massacre of ten per cent of diseased trees, healthy trees and trees with 50 years of life left is deplorable. People are coming up to me all the time expressing their sorrow and anger at what is being done."

A council spokesman said: "There is no way we would chop down healthy trees. The idea is to make sure we have got no dead or diseased trees so that the healthy trees can grow."

The tree felling is the first phase of a restoration programme, which will include a new wildlife lake and skateboard park. Work should be complete by next summer.