PRESSURE is growing for the resurrection of plans to build a bypass around Northallerton.

Hambleton District Council is being urged to start talks with North Yorkshire County Council to turn Northallerton's long-awaited dream into reality.

An outer bypass for the town has been a long-standing proposal and the county council carried out a feasibility study back in 1990.

The scheme, which includes options for routes to both the west and east, was included in the authority's capital programme three years later and work was to have begun in 1999. However, the date was put back, and although it remained in the county's highway programme it has never been given another start date.

But after the Government's recently-announced ten-year plan for transport, hopes are high that the Northallerton scheme could get back on track. The Transport White Paper made specific reference to a target of 50 bypass schemes in rural areas to cut congestion and pollution.

Hambleton planning chief Steve Quar-termain said: "The Northallerton bypass is regarded as of particular importance in view of the congestion in the town centre which is having a significant adverse effect on the quality of life of residents as well as its attractiveness as a place to shop and visit."

The level of congestion in the town has also been aggravated by the increasingly frequent closure of the level crossings as more freight trains make their way to Middlesborough and back.

With traffic ever-growing and the number of freight trains also expected to increase, the town's congestion problem is expected to get even worse.

"In view of this it is important that pressure is applied to progress the bypass, particularly given the Government's indication of new investment," said Mr Quartermain