FEARS over congestion on a Darlington road as a result of a big new housing development have been allayed.

The issue of traffic levels on the town's West Auckland Road was brought up at the latest meeting of Darlington Borough Council's environmental scrutiny committee.

Councillors discussed the West Park development, which will comprise 700 houses, a mental health hospital, rugby club, shops and a primary school.

But there were concerns about the volume of traffic on West Auckland Road, which leads out to the A1.

The Cockerton Area Action Group has already spoken out against the development because of fears that traffic congestion will worsen.

But Tony Cooper, director of house builder Bussey and Armstrong, which is leading the development, told councillors: "You can't do the kind of thing we are doing without researching traffic flows.

"We anticipate growth in traffic, so we have carried out improvements to the Faverdale roundabout and improvement works in school travel planning."

The company told the meeting that it would also provide safe footpaths and cycleways for people to use as an alternative to using a car.

John Buxton, the council's director of development and environment, said there were further proposals to improve some of the junctions nearer Cockerton.

He said he also wants to see bus priority measures put in place as a means of encouraging people to use public transport to ease congestion.

Councillors also heard about the latest building work at West Park.

Work has started on the houses and on the new mental health hospital, which will replace the Pierremont Unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital.