PLANS to carry out road junction improvements for a £15m supermarket have run into opposition from residents.

Work is under way on the new Tesco at Dragonville, Durham, that will create more than 400 jobs.

The development will breathe new life into the site of the derelict Hugh Mackay carpet factory and many of the jobs will be for local unemployed people, recruited under a regeneration scheme pioneered by the company.

Road junction improvements are needed to handle the extra traffic that the development will generate.

These include traffic lights, a pedestrian refuge, footpath narrowing and extra traffic lanes at the junction of Sunderland Road and Dragon Lane.

Less contentious improvements are also planned at the junction of the A181 Sherburn Road and Dragon Lane.

Residents in the area and Belmont Parish Council are objecting to the plans for the Sunderland Road and Dragon Lane junction.

But Durham county councillors will be recommended tomorrow to approve the scheme, despite their opposition. The objections have come from people in Belle Vue Terrace and Providence Place.

They are concerned about the loss of on-street parking, the potential effects of noise and vibration on their homes from passing lorries particularly after the footpath is narrowed, and the siting of traffic light poles.

They also want a link road, which has been suggested as part of another development in the area, to be built.

Belmont Parish Council also opposes traffic lights at both junctions, is concerned about the impact of heavy traffic on homes in the area, and fears that traffic queues will block many accesses along Sunderland Road.

A report to the Highways Committee says that the scheme has been revised to try to meet the objectors' concerns.

Environment and technical services director Chris Tunstall said: "This revised layout continues to meet the traffic requirements within the physical constraints of the site. These revisions add some £30,000 to the cost of the scheme."

Mr Tunstall said that Tesco is offering alternative spaces for people due to lose their parking and that the proposed link road is "only a speculative proposal and the supermarket is nearing completion".