A CONSERVATION group is to pay for a study into a controversial new road that could be built to remove traffic from the centre of Durham City.

The City of Durham Trust, which has already raised an objection to the idea, has hired consultants to produce a critique of the Northern Relief Road that would run from the A690, near Belmont, to a point on the A691, near Aykley Heads, or further down on Framwellgate Peth.

Although there are no formal proposals for the road yet, it is being looked at as a possibility that could be combined with the city's second road toll scheme.

Durham County Council received money from the Government's transport innovation fund to look at introducing more charging and building the new road.

Since the idea of a relief road surfaced more than two years ago, a campaign called Save The Valley for Our City has been formed to fight it.

There are fears that countryside on the edge of the city centre would be ruined and that the peaceful setting of Crookhall, the city's medieval manor house and gardens, would be disturbed.

The trust, which comments on planning applications in the city, is also concerned about the threat to the area that is posed by the road.

Dr Douglas Pocock, chairman of the trust, said: "Although the trust possesses professional experience to mount an environmental counter-argument, it is less competent regarding traffic and highway management.

"Trustees have therefore engaged an independent firm of consultants - Steer, Davies, Gleave, of London - to undertake an independent survey of the business plan of the county's highways department, when it is completed, and to submit to the Department of the Environment.''

Dr Pocock said the name Northern Relief Road was a "deceptive description, being neither northern nor offering any significant relief, but assuredly threatening immense environmental damage to the immediate green environs of the city.''

Durham County Council has insisted the road is currently just a concept and that if proposals were drawn up there would have to be consultation and a business and environmental case would have to be made for the road.