A PUBLIC meeting has been called to discuss plans for a village bypass amid fears it would funnel heavy traffic through a neighbouring community.

A proposal to reroute the A68 around Toft Hill, in County Durham, is one of three schemes to feature in a potential bid for £20m government cash for the Bishop Auckland constituency.

The submission to the Levelling Up Fund, which also includes money to reopen Whorlton Bridge and create new railway paths around Locomotion at Shildon, will be considered by Durham County Council’s cabinet when it meets on Wednesday.

Residents of Toft Hill have long called for a bypass to reduce the noise, air pollution and risk to road safety from heavy traffic and HGVs.

It was also one of the pledges made by Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison ahead of her election in 2019.

But there have been concerns raised in nearby West Auckland and Spring Gardens that the route of the new £12m road – understood to follow Hartbrigg Lane to the Sportsman at the top of Toft Hill - would be created at their detriment and fails to build on the existing St Helen’s bypass, which opened in 2007 after a long-running campaign.

Durham County Councillor for West Auckland Rob Yorke said: “We support a Toft Hill bypass, it is long-awaited and needed, we’ve been involved in campaigning for it for years.

“But it has to be done right.

“We cannot accept the additional traffic that this will funnel through West Auckland and Spring Gardens.”

Miss Davison said the Levelling Up Fund offers a golden opportunity to deliver the Toft Hill bypass and have “an incredibly positive impact” on residents of Toft Hill and Etherley.

She agreed a full bypass for West Auckland should be built and vowed to make it her next big transport campaign.

She said: “Before the election, I heard from countless residents in Toft Hill who were calling for a bypass to help improve safety in and around the village, particularly around the primary school, which had followed decades of campaigning by the local parish council.

“I made this one of my key campaign pledges based on the level of concern in the community. Since then, I have been campaigning hard for the bypass to be built, lobbying both Durham County Council and the Government incessantly.

“The Levelling Up Fund has provided a golden opportunity to bid for funding to finally build the bypass.

“The team at Durham County Council have worked hard to draw together a viable bid within the budget, with the road layout based on that set out in the Regional Transport Plan. We could see the bypass finally delivered within the next few years after decades of inactivity, and I couldn’t be more excited.

“This will have an incredibly positive impact for residents of Toft Hill and Etherley, greatly improving road safety, reducing traffic, and improving air quality.

“Unfortunately, after some conversations with the council, I understand there is nothing at present within the Regional Transport Plan regarding the West Auckland/Spring Gardens bypass.

“I believe there was a consultation in 2002, which then saw that section of the bypass omitted.

"It has never been put back into the plan, which makes it much harder to bid for central government funding for such a project - and we certainly wouldn’t hit the Levelling Up Fund deadline to do so, so it is highly unlikely that an extended West Auckland bypass could be delivered through this fund.

“However, I totally agree with local residents that a full West Auckland bypass should be built, and I will be campaigning for that as my next major transport campaign. I’m calling it “phase two” of the bypass plans.

“Looking at the situation as it stands, this is going to take a lot more work between myself, local residents, the local County Councillors, the parish council, and Durham County Council to ensure the council has a West Auckland bypass in its local plan, and within the Regional Transport Plan, to ensure we can get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible.

“I understand there are some concerns about future traffic in West Auckland. However, given the proposed Toft Hill bypass road layout, there should be no additional traffic burden on West Auckland but I will be monitoring this carefully.”

Cllr Yorke believes the draft bid has been rushed and the council needs further consultation in the constituency and urged Ms Davison to ensure any Levelling up Funding that is secured offers good value and helps as much of the area as possible.

He urged members of Durham County Council to step back from the LUF bid to allow more work to be done on it.

He said: “A bypass that would serve West Auckland and Toft Hill was costed at £40m, we know that is expensive and that’s why it has been delayed.

“But this is a second rate plan that has been hastily put together.

“I want to see a bypass for Toft Hill that makes sure the residents of West Auckland are also protected.”

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “Councillor Rob Yorke was the Cabinet support councillor for Neighbourhoods (including roads) for eight years until less than six weeks ago. 

“The Toft Hill bypass route being proposed by the Council is the same route the Labour-run Council was working on until they lost control a few weeks ago.

“At no time does it appear that Cllr Yorke made any public comment or campaigned whatsoever for the route he now demands, far from it he’s been part of the administration pushing for the route now proposed.

“Furthermore, the new bypass is about alleviating congestion and the resulting pollution in this part of the County and is not expected to increase traffic flow in West Auckland.

“So rather than simply attacking a plan that he and his previous Labour colleagues were supporting until six weeks ago perhaps he should take a more positive approach and get behind building a better future for our County instead.”

Dave Wafer, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “The current plans and route of the Toft Hill Bypass have remained unchanged over the past 20 years.

“Whilst the potential to fund this type of project has changed throughout that time period, the desire of local people to remove traffic travelling through the village has not.

“The issues caused by traffic, and especially HGVs, have been raised by local members, Etherley Parish Council, local MPs and local residents on a significant number of occasions.

“Whilst the construction of a bypass will not have any implications for people in West Auckland, we would be happy to consult fully with residents and West Auckland Parish Council to look at options to address current traffic concerns should the bid to the Levelling Up Fund be successful.”

A public meeting will be held in the Concert Room of West Auckland Club, Front Street, County Durham, on Tuesday, June 15, at 7pm.