CONCERNS have been expressed that a proposed development of offices and workshop units might encroach on land earmarked for a bypass.

The comments came at a meeting of Teesdale District Council planning south committee after members learned of the application from the regional development agency, One North-East, to build the units at the Harmire Enterprise Park on the outskirts of Barnard Castle. The application fell into two parts, with permission sought for two blocks of office accommodation and two blocks of workshop units.

Planning officer Trevor Watson said the highways authority had voiced no objections to the proposal but would not be prepared to adopt the internal road network. Comments received from the town council had indicated that the site was within the zoned influence of the proposed bypass. But he had taken the matter up with the highways authority, which had no concerns, as the piece of land in question was small and would only clip the bypass corridor.

Coun Peter Stubbs supported the proposal. But Coun John Watson asked for a deferment, as the plan had implications. The architects had not drawn in the bypass carriageway and councillors would be making a decision without the full information in front of them.

He would have expected the green travel plan to be investigated, which One North-East had been charged with promoting, and it should be ashamed of itself.

Coun Newton Wood wondered if they could not defer a decision on the grounds that the proposal infringed on the bypass corridor.

"If you walk on mines you are going to get blown up," he said. It was crazy that a Government body would trespass on the boundary when a Government body had designed the bypass.

It's time we said, hey, this is stupid," he added. "I think we should tell them to go back and think again."

But Mr Watson said they could not refuse the proposal for those reasons. He had taken up the issue with the highways authority, but members could defer a decision subject to written confirmation that that authority had no objections if they wished.

Coun David Armstrong was not prepared to be strangled by a designated corridor of interest. He would not have economic development sabotaged in Barnard Castle for a tiny bit of land like that.

Members agreed to defer any decision until they had confirmation from the highways authority that it had no objections regarding the corridor of interest.

Antiques show will be live from Dales

AMATEUR antiques dealers gather at Leyburn next week for live broadcasts of the BBC1 daytime programme Bargain Hunt.

Viewers are invited to join presenter David Dickinson and the teams at Tennants' auction centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11am-noon. Each team is given £200 to buy antiques that members hope will make a profit at auction. They are helped in their choices by experts Philip Serrell and Kate Alcock.

Contestants taking part at Leyburn on Tuesday include father and daughter Richard and Krystyna Holder, a company director from Sussex and a student from Reading, and two Worcester traffic wardens, Marg Virgo and Marie Price. The following day, husband and wife Adrian and Belinda Sparey pit their skills against Albert and Mary Nelson, who sold up in South Africa to move to Britain and live on a boat.

Choir welcomed

Blackwell Ladies' Choir was warmly received by Heighington Homemakers at their March meeting. The choir performed a varied programme of popular ballads and songs from the shows with solo items by members of the choir and the concert was greatly appreciated by the audience.