VILLAGERS plan to lobby councillors over a £50m scheme which would see one of the region's schools relocated to their doorstep.

Yarm School, founded in 1978, is planning to move to a 120-acre site at Town End Farm, off the A67.

The scheme has sparked fears among residents in nearby Kirklevington, that they will suffer increased traffic congestion and the building will have an impact on the environment.

But staff at the independent school say much of the traffic already passes through the village and the new site would have parking.

Resident George Lowes said a working party set up by a number of residents, was hoping to make a presentation to councillors when the proposal goes before the planning committee.

He said: "We had a public meeting recently and more than 150 people turned up. The school sent along a project manager, but he wasn't able to answer all of our questions.

"The only people who are going to benefit from this are those at the school. They are a business and we know that, but we think the redevelopment is going to come at a cost to residents.

"Nobody is against the school's wish to redevelop, it is just the site they have chosen.

"There may well be important wildlife on the site that should not be disturbed and maybe lost."

He said that suggestions that the relocation would ease Yarm's notorious traffic problems were also unlikely because of a housing development proposed by Shepherd Homes for the vacated Yarm School site.

Headteacher David Dunn said that during a three-day public exhibition more than 90 per cent of residents were in support of the plans.

He said: "I am hoping we can encourage as many people as we can to look at the wider picture and the regional benefits for the North-East.

"We have designed the school so that it is very green and totally in keeping with the landscape.

"It will have a grass roof and it will be barely visible from the A67. It is not going to be intrusive to the area.

"We have done a traffic assessment and we have got sufficient parking spaces on site to deal with all the cars.

"We have already had a lot of interest from people wanting to use the new facilities and we believe it can benefit everyone in the area.

"We know we can't please everybody, but we will try to deal with any questions that people ask. £50m is a massive investment and everyone can benefit from it."

A spokesman for Stockton Borough Council said a decision on the plan was expected to have been made by October 19.