RESIDENTS have been reassured that building work is not about to begin in a popular park - despite a drilling rig being set up.

Plans to build on John Whitehead Park, Billingham, were agreed by Stockton Borough Council as part of the regeneration of the town.

The park was chosen as the site for a replacement for the Forum and a huge consultation exercise was carried out with local residents.

However, the Friends of John Whitehead Park said that although the consultation exercise showed there would be buildings on the land, it did not explain the scale of them.

They have set up a petition to the plans and so far more than 3,000 people have signed it.

Barbara Jones, of the group, said: "There is a lot of anger over the plans and we feel the council is riding roughshod over the wishes of local residents.

"Drilling bore holes into the ground while there is so much to protect is extreme provocation."

A spokesman for the council said that the rig was set up to test the condition of the soil before the next stage in the design can proceed.

He said: "The next stage in the process is when the designs go to the cabinet to seek permission to grant planning approval for the applications.

"Work on the buildings is not beginning now. There has been widespread consultation on the proposals, and while we do understand certain independent groups do have differing views, this is an opportunity to create a facility of excellence in Billingham that will be the envy of the area.

"An integral part of the plans is to upgrade part of the park. It is about 70,000 square metres in size and about 10,000 of that will be taken up with the development.

"There are plans to landscape the park and to create a children's skateboard facility. It is a fantastic opportunity to provide an outstanding facility in the town."

The consultation exercise revealed that 65.4per cent of people favoured the scheme, 14.2 disapproved and the rest neither approved or disapproved, said the spokesman