VILLAGERS will get their first glimpse of proposals for a £5m bypass at an exhibition next week.

People have fought a long battle for the scheme in West Auckland, but were told there was no cash available until the Government announced extra transport funds in 2000.

Chairman of Durham County Council's highways committee and county councillor for West Auckland, Sonny Douthwaite, said the bypass would ease traffic coming through West Auckland and St Helen Auckland.

He said: "I took up the gauntlet from my fellow councillors to get this to come to fruition. We are happy that it is happening.''

He said the scheme would create an industrial belt attracting more business to the area. But he said there was still a need for a bypass at Toft Hill.

Funding for the project has come from Durham County Council's Local Transport Plan.

Stage one of the scheme, to the west of Fylands and south of the St Helen Industrial Estate, was completed in 1998.

Subject to statutory approvals, comments from local people, landowners and occupiers, work on the bypass should start by the end of next year or the beginning of 2004. It will take up to a year to complete.

The 1.5 mile route will link the first stage of the bypass, just west of Fylands, with the A688 in Staindrop Road, on the south-west outskirts of West Auckland.

District councillor for West Auckland John Ferguson said: "I am absolutely delighted that it is finally going ahead, but I am concerned about bottlenecks of traffic at Staindrop Road and Chapel Street.''

The detailed plans will be displayed at an exhibition at St Helen's Church, Manor Road, St Helen Auckland, from next Monday to Friday, May 31.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28 and 29, the display will move to the adjoining Parish Centre. Officials from Durham County Council will be available at the centre to answer visitors' questions between 2pm and 8pm.

About 2,500 homes have received detailed leaflets and questionnaires. Chris Tunstall, the county council's director of environment and technical services said; "The questionnaire gives people a real chance to have their say and ideally we want to be swamped with them so we can gauge as wide an opinion as possible.''