A long-awaited 'Northern Link Road' for Darlington is heading back out to consultation – but fresh concerns have emerged after a previously favoured “perfect” route was dropped from the latest plans.

Residents are set to have their say from mid-July on new potential routes for the road, which is intended to ease congestion across the town and improve connections between the A66 and A1(M).

However, the latest proposals have sparked frustration, with questions raised over why an earlier preferred option has been removed.

The scheme, which has been in development for nearly a decade, is one of the biggest transport projects affecting Darlington and has been allocated £250m from the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s (TVCA) £1bn transport fund. Full details of the consultation are expected to be published by TVCA.

Despite the investment, concerns are growing that none of the remaining options will deliver what many in Darlington say is most needed – a true bypass.

Speaking at this month’s TVCA overview and scrutiny committee meeting, Whinfield ward........

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