A COUNCIL investigation into the cause of a landslip on Loftus Bank is set to show there is no link with a £2.5m repair to the road carried out three years ago.

Residents and businesses in the area are receiving an information newsletter on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's investigation, which says a report is expected to be completed by the end of the year or early 2005.

The report will outline the extent of the remedial works, which in turn will determine the time needed to design and construct the repair.

A routine inspection in July saw the crash barrier on the west side of the A174 Loftus Bank had buckled due to a minor landslip on the adjacent embankment.

Temporary traffic lights to keep vehicles away from the downhill lane, travelling from Loftus, have been in operation as a safety measure since then.

A wide range of investigations have been carried out to try to pinpoint the problem. A national expert on landslips is helping to complete the report being undertaken by Middlesbrough Laboratory Services, while a monitoring system is being installed.

The possibility of a leaking water main being responsible was ruled out at an early stage as well as any connection with the earlier works carried out 100 metres further up the bank.

The council's cabinet member for strategic planning, development and infrastructure, Coun Eric Empson, accepts the solution cannot be achieved in the short term.

He said: "Taking the previous landslip as a guide, completion of remedial works could take 12 months or more, with design and tendering procedures adding possibly a further three to four months.

"Every effort will be made to undertake the works without full road closure, so we can keep using the present signal control system.

"We cannot make a categorical assurance on that until the remedial works are known. And at this stage, it's impossible to estimate how much it's all going to cost."

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar is pressing for a meeting with transport ministers to work out a Government deal to help to pay for the repairs.

* Meanwhile, the second phase of the £150,000 road resurfacing scheme on the A1085 at Marske, was put back until this Tuesday.

The works, by Redcar and Cleveland Council's Highway Services partner, Alfred McAlpine, from the High Street roundabout to Churchill Drive, should have started last week. A council spokesman apologised for the delays.