PARISH councillors have spoken of their concerns about a £52m transport scheme seen as vital to the regeneration of the Tees Valley.

Consultants have completed a long-awaited study that looks at upgrading the A66 trunk road around Darlington, and have put a package of proposed measures out for public consultation.

Stretches of the bypass carry 20,000 vehicles a day - but that is expected to rise to up to 41,000 by 2025.

In May 2003, the North-East Assembly commissioned consultants WSP/Carl Bro to undertake a study of the A66, between Blackwell Bridge and Great Burdon roundabout.

The proposals include dualling the A66 between the A67 Yarm Road junction and to the east of the Great Burdon roundabout.

There would also be improvements to all other junctions to the south of Darlington, and a park-and-ride scheme at Morton Park.

However, members of Hurworth Parish Council, near Darlington, have expressed concerns.

Councillor Peter Foster said: "The bottleneck has always been the Morrison's junction at Morton Park. As villagers, we are going to get all the morning rush-hour traffic.

"They are having problems with speeding in Neasham and a lot of that is people using the road to go to work."

However, Coun Alan Gibson said: "I don't think any of this will happen anyway. I think it is pie in the sky."