FEARS for the future of a treasured green belt have been allayed by news that offices will be located elsewhere.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has announced that a broad agreement has been reached for it to acquire a vacant foundry site, in Guisborough, for its buildings.

The news, which follows months of negotiations on the proposed relocation, is likely to be met with delight by the area's residents.

Thousands of people staged a protest in response to the council's second choice of site, on the opposite side of Rectory Lane, which would have involved the Beck Side green space being used as a car park.

Despite councillors' insistence that this option was merely a contingency plan, if the foundry site fell through, residents feared the loss of their patch of recreational land.

Throughout the dispute, the authority stressed that its offers had to match the foundry site's market value and be vetted by the Government, which is supporting the relocation through its Private Finance Initiative.

Councillor David Walsh, the council leader, said last night: "This has been a difficult time for everyone involved, but I am delighted to announce the progress we have made in our negotiations to buy the former Blackett Hutton foundry.

"We have always understood the anxieties of local people over the potential threat of losing part of the open space at Rectory Lane.

"Now we hope everyone can support the scheme to bring these offices to Guisborough, which can only be a big boost for the town."