PROPOSALS to create five large retail warehouses in the county town of North Yorkshire could be scuppered - by long-held hopes of a scheme to ease congestion.

Plans have been submitted to build the warehouses, covering a total of almost 3,000 sq metres, on the northern edge of Northallerton.

But Hambleton councillors are being urged to reject the application, because the development would jeopardise the building of a bridge to replace the town's North End level crossing.

Developer Voicelodge Limited wants to build the warehouses on a site in Yafforth Road, which bounds the northern end of the High Street at the Darlington Road roundabout.

It would comprise three 650sq metre units and two of 492sq metres and include two site access roads and parking for 117 cars.

However, the replacement of the North End level crossing has already been identified as a major scheme in the local transport plan, for the period from next year to 2011.

It would involve the construction of a bridge carrying the A167 over the Northallerton to Middlesbrough railway line at Low Gates.

The land needed to provide clearance over the railway line means that the vertical alignment of the bridge will be critical, and will have an impact on the embankments and the land needed for the ware- houses.

As a result, the Highways Agency and the Allertonshire Civic Society are objecting to the scheme, calling for it to be turned down.

"The North-East section of this site gives the best, and perhaps the only, solution to the problem of siting a bridge to replace North Gates level crossing," said the society.

"Without such a solution to the level crossing problem, the long-term success of any development in the northern fringe of the town is questionable."

Other objections have come from the Environment Agency, raising fears of the flooding risk before the proposed Brompton Northallerton Romanby flood alleviation scheme is in place.

Hambleton's development control committee will be asked to make a decision at its meeting in Northallerton, on Thursday.

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