Marske by-pass will not be made into a dual carriageway following a 25 year campaign.

Although only one carriageway has been built, the road has been designed as a dual carriageway and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council needed a court order from Teesside Magistrates to stop the other carriageway being built.

The council says it feels it is not necessary to develop the dual carriageway because of local and national policy changes and wants to sell the verge of land near the new Ings and Mickledales estates, Redcar, to housing developers.

Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council objected and Coun Jim Wingham explained a by-pass for Marske was first discussed 25 years ago because of increasing traffic levels. He presented several letters of objection to the borough council's schemes in support of his argument.

But after two hours of deliberation, the magistrates came down on the side of the borough council.

It says the land will be used for landscaping and shrubbery but Coun Wingham said his fear was now the possibility of more houses going on the land.

"They could get an extra row of houses on that land and I think that is what is really going on.

"The chances of ever getting a new carriageway are gone now. We have always objected to the housing developments because we feel it is an encroachment of the separate identities of our three communities. We have seen the green belt erode to a green wedge and now it is nearly just an open space.

He added that he felt the dual carriageway would have provided easier access to isolated east Cleveland.

"I am very disappointed but I expected it. Redcar and Cleveland is a very determined steam roller and a parish council is only a small organisation and unfortunately Goliath won."

A spokesman for the borough council said: "We are pleased with the court's decision. We put forward a case to close the land and they agreed with us.

He added the local structure plan identified the need for more housing in the Marske and Redcar area but emphasised the council would still have control over applications for the site.