VILLAGERS are to have their own parish council after more than a year and a half of campaigning.

The Government has agreed in principle that the village of Eldon can separate from Shildon to have its own parish council from April 1 next year.

Councillor Lorraine Smith, Sedgefield borough councillor for the area, who has been one of the campaigners for the village to gain independence, said she was delighted with the ruling.

"I feel thoroughly overjoyed that the secretary of state, the borough and the town council have accepted us as a parish on our own," she said.

There are still details which remain to be resolved before the new Eldon Parish Council can take over the running of the village.

A spokesman for Sedgefield Borough Council confirmed that the proposals for a new parish council had been agreed in principal.

He said: "Sedgefield Borough Council must create a parish council, and we are now in the process of doing that."

Coun Smith said that residents in the village had been pressing for their own parish council because they felt they were not getting anything done in the area.

She said: "It was just the thought of the money we were paying out and not seeing any benefit from it.

"So we thought we would give it a go and try to set up our own council."

Coun Smith said the steering group, which was set up to push the campaign forward, would have to wait to find out what boundaries had been set before it could continue with its work.

"We cannot do anything at the moment until the next election. But the steering committee will be meeting before April 2003 to discuss who will be putting up for the council," she said.

Before the new council can begin operating, five candidates must be nominated as members.

Coun Smith said: "We are not going into this with our eyes shut. We are our own parish council now, and we will have to work really hard for the community."