PLANS to improve access to Darlington's town centre library have been approved.

Darlington Borough Council's plans for the listed building, in Crown Street, were passed to the Secretary of State for the Environment for approval in January.

The scheme, which follows years of campaigning by disabled groups and complaints from pushchair users, was referred because the library is council-owned, as well as a listed structure.

Council staff have been hard at work since the beginning of the year, clearing an area at basement level where a lift will be installed on the corner of Crown Street and Priestgate.

This will give people who cannot use the two sets of steps up to the building much easier access to the library.

Two years ago, disabled people in the town set up a task force to lobby for the changes, which they said were long overdue.

The campaign by Darlington Association on Disability came after plans were repeatedly postponed because of concerns about the cost of the scheme and because the building was listed.

As well as the disabled-friendly access, the plans, which will cost £145,000, include lower counters, wheelchair-compatible furniture and lavatories, wider aisles, automatic doors and the removal of other doors which might prove a hindrance to people in wheelchairs.

There will also be facilities for people with hearing and sight difficulties, including an upgraded fire alarm system using visual warnings and high visibility signs.

Improved access and facilities will also allow the council to employ disabled people at the library for the first time.

A council spokesman said: "It means we can now press ahead with the work that will make the library facilities fully accessible to people with restricted mobility."

When asked about the start of the main body of work, he said: "It won't be long."

The northern part of the building was originally opened as the Edward Pease Free Library in 1885, following a dying gift to the town from the prominent Darlington Quaker figure.

The borough architect tripled the size of the building in 1933.