THE developers behind the 925-home Sowerby Gateway estate are set to strike a multi-million pound deal with major housebuilding firms, which could see a £7.5m road junction scheme completed by the autumn.

The move by Mulberry Homes follows mounting concerns over when a four-way junction on the A168, south-west of Thirsk, would be built and how it would be funded and Aldi submitting plans to Hambleton District Council to build a 1,739sq metre store off Topcliffe Road and Gravel Hole Lane.

It is hoped the combination of new signage at the Thirsk A168/a19 junctions, the construction of the new junction, work to improve the roads near Thirsk town centre and the attraction of shoppers to the new supermarket, which has outline planning permission, will help alleviate congestion in the area.

The deal has come as a huge boost to Mulberry Homes, which is facing pressure from the district council to deliver the junction, which should have been completed last September

To cover contingencies and other matters, the developer had been asked to pay highways agencies 144 per cent of cost of the junction, ahead of construction starting, and had been forced to buy additional land to extend a slip road.

Mulberry Homes said as negotiations were ongoing over selling a southern area of the estate, approaching 20 acres, it would not reveal which firms were looking to build homes on the site, but it is understood to be Taylor Wimpey and a subsidiary of Galliford Try.

The North Yorkshire-based developer dismissed claims that it had been forced into selling the site, which has outline planning permission for houses, saying a range of developers would provide customers with a wider range of house types, tenures and prices.

He said: "This is exactly the approach we are taking at our recently unveiled North Northallerton scheme, where, subject to planning permission, we would be building homes alongside Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon."

The district council's most recent leader, Mark Robson, said: "Given that two major developers are involved and the funds are now in place, I'm confident the junction work will begin by autumn this year."

The proposals for the supermarket, where up to 30 jobs will be created if councillors approve the scheme in June, show 92 parking spaces at the store, which would be open between 8am and 10pm, Monday to Saturday and for six hours on Sundays.

A Sowerby Parish Council meeting heard members recommend the store plan be approved, but call for a more creative design as it would be near the village entrance.