PLANS for a £750,000 road development will go on public display this week.

Work on the £9m Chilton bypass, which was first mooted in 1939, will begin in the middle of next month.

When completed, it will divert traffic away from the A167 Durham Road, which runs through Chilton, much to the relief of the community's residents, who have had to tolerate heavy traffic moving through the centre of the town for years.

A series of environmental improvements is planned for Durham Road once the bypass is opened next year.

A exhibition of proposals for the road will go in display in Chilton Library from Friday until July 23.

There will be a questionnaire available for members of the public to complete, giving them the opportunity of outlining what they would like to see in the development.

Paul Gray, clerk of Chilton Town Council, said: "We are looking at things like narrowing the road, planting trees, installing ornamental street furniture and possibly CCTV cameras.

"One thing is for sure, Chilton is definitely going to change in the next two years.

"We are consulting with everybody, and these questionnaires are very important for us to find out what people want, rather than us just going ahead with things."

The project is being led by the Durham Road Development Group, a sub-group of the local community partnership.

The road improvement is a priority scheme in Durham County Council's five-year Urban Renaissance Programme, which aims to breathe new life into local communities.

A workshop will be held on Friday, July 23, in Chilton and Windlestone Club, to give people an idea of what is planned.

County council spokesman Fraser Davie said: "What we want as a result of the exhibition and the workshop is a good idea of what people would like to see, so we can draw up a masterplan.

"We need to have everything ready to make a start on the ground when the bypass is opened in July next year."

Anyone who would like to comment on the scheme can contact Paul Gray on (01388) 721788.