ANGRY residents living next to the site of Darlington's new £12.5m link road have been told the scheme will not be changed.

People from the Red Hall estate complained after builders began to lay the Eastern Transport Corridor on top of a two metre high embankment - even though the original plans were at ground level.

Residents claim the change will mean passing drivers will be able to look directly into their bedroom windows.

People living in nearby streets met councillors and the scheme's developers to ask for the road to be flattened - but were told they cannot stop the works.

Martin Young, the site supervisor, said it would cost Darlington Borough Council "a fortune" to relay the road.

He said: "It would cost the council at least another £1.5m.

"We would have to build retaining walls, redo all the earthworks and move cables - this is money the council hasn't got."

At a meeting at Lingfield Ballroom, Mr Young explained that the project's original plans would have partially sited the road on land the council does not own.

The engineers had to re-work the scheme to fit in the earthworks and raised the level of the road to two metres, or 7ft, above ground level.

Residents were not consulted, because the council's planning office considered the alteration to be a "minor change".

Resident Billy Whitfield said: "You have just railroaded this over us. Why were the people not informed of these changes?

"We are not happy about this.

If I built an extension on my house that was two feet too high, you would tell me to pull it down.

How can you get away with this?

You are in breach of the plans."

Mr Young replied: "According to our planners, we are not."

Chris McEwan, the ward councillor for Haughton East, said at the end of the meeting: "There is a landscaping scheme planned for the road and the developers are keen to engage with local residents.

I am keen that we get more views from resident on that."