COUNCILLORS have approved plans for a retail park despite their concerns it will lead to grid lock while construction of a relief road takes place.

The relief road is planned for the Dragonville area of Durham to reduce traffic congestion around industrial and retail developments.

However, concerns have been raised that the road, which would run parallel to Dragon Lane, will not be built until after a new retail park, off Damson Way, opens in summer 2019.

Durham County Council members approved a scheme, which will include a Lidl, supermarket, car park and retail unit The Range, at a meeting yesterday.

The meeting heard it would generate 70 per cent more trips at peak times and could lead to queues of 57 cars in Dragon Lane.

As part of the development, applicants Dragon Lane LLP must contribute £175,000 towards the relief road, to fill a shortfall in council funding for the project.

Simon Neet, from Indigo Planning, which is developing a scheme for the nearby Mono Containers site, objected to the proposal because he disagreed that the relief road was the solution.

He said Standard Life, which owns the site, has already contributed £1.3m to highways projects in the area since 2003 and suggested an alternative scheme.

He said: “Our engineer advises that even if the relief road is built it wouldn’t reduce congestion to an acceptable level.”

John McGargill, highways manager for the council, defended the scheme, which will link McIntyre Way to Damson Way via Renny’s Lane and will also require an improved junction at the Damson Way/A181 junction.

He said the council has allocated some funding for the scheme but was around £0.5m short. It hopes to apply for planning permission in September and wants to build it by 2020.

Councillor David Freeman said: “This application would appear to result in the improvement of a run down location. However, we all know there’s a traffic problem that would be far worse if it open without the planned relief road. It seems we could have grid lock before the road is in place.”

Cllr Patricia Jopling said: “I would like to see the road done before this is built.”

Jeremy Williams, from ID planning, on behalf of the applicants, said the scheme would create around 110 jobs.

He added: “The application seeks to improve shopping facilities in east Durham on a brown field site in need of regeneration.”