Darlington FC chairman Mr George Reynolds has vowed not to upset residents over a proposed park and ride scheme to take fans to the club's new stadium.

Planning conditions imposed by Darlington Borough Council mean the new 25,000-seat ground can only open with a 10,000 capacity unless a transport plan and improvements to Neasham Road and the A66 trunk road are carried out in advance. This includes a park and ride scheme to ferry fans to and from the stadium.

Sites in the Faverdale and Lingfield areas of the town are being considered and Mr Reynolds said the choice would be made carefully to avoid any conflict with residents.

He said: "We don't want to cause any aggravation; I don't want to upset the rest of the town."

He added that the system would avoid Neasham Road altogether and would use the A66 instead.

Meanwhile, complaints about late night working at the new stadium site have been dismissed by council planners.

Mrs Jan Mazurk, of the Neasham Road Action group which campaigned against the new stadium, said planning conditions banning work after 7pm were being ignored by the contractor, Hall Construction.

However, a spokesman for the council said work carried out between 7pm and 7am was allowed subject to written permission being granted.

He said: "It is not a case of them flouting the conditions, they just should have got permission from us."

He added that this was the first time any such concern had arisen and Hall Construction had stuck to the conditions since work started in February.

The new 25,000 seater stadium is on track to finish ahead of schedule and budget.

Hall Construction, builder of the stadium, has published a full-colour brochure to send out to key players in the sports world.

Managing director Mr Stephen Hall, said: "We consider it an honour to have been chosen to build the new stadium and are so proud of the results that we wanted to share them with everyone."

The stadium will have 28 executive boxes, 44 directors' seats, 36 press seats, 48 wheelchair spaces, four escalators, eight lifts, four restaurants, three hospitality suites, supporters' club shop, health club, computer study centre, penthouse suite, undersoil pitch heating, car parking for 1,470 vehicles, two-acre lakeside picnic area and a park and ride service to transport fans to and from the stadium.

Hall construction entered into a guaranteed maximum price contract of £15m for the stadium construction offering the former safe-cracker the comfort of financial certainty.

Any additional costs above that agreed price would therefore be borne by Hall.