UTTER confusion reigned until the last minute as to whether carol singing, due to kick off the Christmas festival in Barnard Castle tonight, would go ahead, following a mix-up over road closure times.

The event, which will take place at 6pm around the Christmas tree at the bottom of Galgate, looked in jeopardy after the wrong times were noted for a road closure order for the A67 slip road, due to be issued by Teesdale District Council.

Without apportioning blame, Miss Susan Porter, the council's legal officer, told a meeting of the community services committee on Wednesday that there had been a misunderstanding over the closure time. It was normally up to organisations to seek permission from the police and county council for road closures, but because that had not happened in the past, the district council had done it.

Under delegated powers at a briefing meeting, it had been agreed to close the slip road from the post office to the florists between 4.55 and 6.10. But the request had actually been for an hour later, because the carol singing did not start until 6pm.

That caused a problem, said Miss Porter, as three buses were due to use the slip road between 6pm and 7pm. But if the county council had no problem, then a new order could be issued for between those times.

Members agreed to the road closure order at the later time if the county council accepted it, but if the bus route could not be altered, then the closure order could not be put in place.

Following the meeting, the issue began to get more complicated. Project co-ordinator Ms Jill Cole spoke to Go Northern and it had no problem with taking its bus up the main road, and the Arriva company had agreed to send an inspector to supervise its. She then put her findings to the county council, which in turn told Ms Cole and the D&S Times that it had no objections.

But, in repeated telephone calls to Miss Porter yesterday morning, she was still waiting for notification until, just before the D&S Times went to Press, she rang with the news that it had come through, causing the organisers to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Ms Cole paid tribute to the co-operation of all concerned in resolving the matter, which would bring lasting benefit to the people of Barnard Castle.

l The matter was just one of the criticisms levelled at the authority by Coun John Watson at a meeting of the community services committee on Wednesday. See page 5.