THE businessman behind a planned country club and spa in Yarm is threatening to bypass Stockton Council and go directly to the Secretary of State if outstanding legal matters on the site are not resolved soon.

Tom Howson won outline planning permission for the health and fitness facility, with swimming pool, spa and a bistro, in June, but is still waiting for his legal agreement to be completed.

He accused the council of "dragging its heels" on the development and said if his section 106 agreement is not through within the next two weeks he will override the council and go to the Government - and if successful, he said the council will have to pay costs.

The country club is planned for land off Leven Bank Road and will create about 150 jobs. Thornaby business Mr Howson had hoped to start the build early in the New Year, but said legal matters had taken so long he does not know when it will start. An impasse has been reached between him and the council over access plans.

One of the plans for site access was to build a four-legged roundabout on Leven Bank, with one exit to a planned retirement village on the other side of the road, and the other to the country club.

Mr Howson said part of his land was needed to build the roundabout – but he would not hand the council the land unless his scheme was allowed to progress.

However, the council says his land is only needed to build a four-exit roundabout, not a three-exit one.,

He said: "They know that they can't build this roundabout without coming on to my land. I don't need to build this just yet. Before that they wanted my land upfront, but I declined.

"The reserved matters are supposed to be dealt with within six months. But next week, if it is not dealt with, we are going to the secretary of state for the non-determination of the section 106 agreement.

"As far as I am concerned I just want my 106 agreement and the council can sort their problems out and build the roundabout. They can build the three-legged roundabout and I will add the fourth exit when I need to."

He said he had not been happy with length of time it took to get outline planning permission for the club, taking 15 months instead of the prescribed 13 weeks.

Stockton Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, Councillor Nigel Cooke, said: “We are working with Mr Howson and his advisors in an efficient manner to complete the complex legal arrangements relating to the application for the Country Club.

“We are also working separately with the developer of the retirement village to finalise various matters relating to his development. Once complete the roundabout can be built subject to appropriate finances being put in place with the Council.”

The council said it was "not unusual" to take some time for legal agreements to be agreed and signed, and that Mr Howson's land was only needed for a four-exit roundabout, not a three-exit one which would serve only the Mount Leven Village.