VILLAGERS are hoping that councillors will answer their call to reject a housing development.

People at West Rainton are worried about the scheme planned near their homes, because it will involve creating a traffic light junction on the A690 at Rainton Gate.

In the summer, Durham County Council's highways committee supported the proposed lights, despite strong objections from residents.

Durham City Council's development control committee is likely to consider the application for 193 homes by Bryant Homes and Wimpey Homes next month.

Residents are opposed to the traffic lights because a planning inspector called for a graded junction when considering development proposals in the early 1990s.

They fear that it will increase traffic hazards on the busy road, between Sunderland and Durham.

Kathleen Carr, vice-chairman of the parish council, said: "We think the city council will consider the plan at a meeting at the end of January, but we are not sure.

"We are sending every councillor a letter setting out our objections, so that they know what they are talking about.

"Feelings are still high in the village. There are a lot of people who are concerned.

"West Rainton seems to get all the mess and nobody takes any notice, but we are keeping our fingers crossed.

"The road is our biggest concern, but there is also concern about the disruption to wildlife by the development."

County highway officials said that the proposed traffic lights will be safe and that the road's accident record has improved with a 50mph limit and the use of speed cameras.

The developers have pledged to install the lights, make other improvements to the road and pay £500,000 towards the county council's planned park and ride interchange, at Carrville.

Although the planning inspector said in 1991 that a graded junction was essential for road safety, the developers said it would be too expensive.

Residents, who mounted a big campaign against the development, were angered when only half of the of the county highways committee's 30 members visited the site before voting to support the plans.