WORK on a multi-million pound link road will continue after officials confirmed the route is not in breach of planning permission.

Residents living next to the building site where the £12.5m Eastern Transport Corridor, in Darlington, is to be laid, complained last week that the track was being built on an embankment up to ten feet in height.

Darlington Borough Council admitted the road was higher than originally planned and that the works may have been in breach of official planning approval.

But after an investigation, the authority has announced that the work does meet the official planning approval.

A spokesman for Darlington council said: "Planning officers have looked into it and, in planning terms, there has only been a slight change to the level of the road, so it is acceptable.

"The road at its highest point will be about five feet above the original plan, so we are proceeding as normal."

The Government finally approved plans for the road in December last year after a ten-year campaign from residents and council leaders. Work began on site in January. The new route is to link Haughton Road to the A66 in an attempt to ease congestion in and around the town centre.

The road is to follow the route of the old Darlington to Stockton railway line.

Last week, Cyril Johnston, who lives on the nearby Red Hall Estate, said the road was being laid on an embankment that did not feature on the original plans.

Mr Johnston and his neighbours in Goodison Way complained that traffic would look straight into their bedroom windows if the track stayed at the same level.

Mr Johnston said yesterday: "Plans are plans and the council make them. We're hopping mad about this, but where do we go now?

"We are not trying to stop the road or be awkward, but this is just a very big eyesore that is only 35 metres from our front door.

"It's worrying the council could let a huge project like this go ahead without even knowing what the planning permission allows."