THERE is still no date fixed for the start of work on the long-awaited Rillington bypass, says a North Yorkshire County Council report.

The scheme for the A64, which straddles the village, has been put to the recently set-up Regional Transport Board for consideration in its forward programme of major highway schemes.

The board is in the process of adopting a scheme to prioritise proposed highway projects, which will be put to the Minister Stephen Ladyman for funding approvals on new roads to be built over the next decade.

Mike Moore, the council's director of environmental services, said that a shortlist of 28 schemes had been drawn up, of which Rillington by-pass was one.

"The board is to meet in December when its decisions on regional priorities will be reached and then its recommendations to the relevant minister for schemes to be included in the forward programme will be made in January," said Mr Moore.

The Rillington bypass, estimated to cost £7m, was originally planned to start in 2007