Plans for a two way North Service Road got the go ahead on Monday night, when the proposals were passed by Brentwood Borough Council without opposition.

Despite fierce Tory criticism of the plan, claiming the change to North Service Road, would herald a ring road 'by the back door', the two Conservative councillors at the technical services committee voted for the proposal.

After months of debate, the announcement came with less of a bang than a whimper.

The council's policy and co-ordinating committee decided back in June to approve the scheme, but following protests from the Conservatives, the approval was made subject to a favourable response in a borough-wide public consultation.

At Monday's meeting councillors were told only 615 residents responded with 178 opposed.

The technical services committee agreed to amend the original plans to take on board several suggestions made during the consultation, including a new cycle route in Western Road and further traffic calming measures to improve pedestrian safety.

Members were reassured by chairman, Cllr Barry Aspinell, that the scheme did not amount to a ring road around the town, and was not the first step towards pedestrianisation of the High Street.

"What you see is what you get," he insisted, before thanking residents who had turned up to the meeting and telling them: "You have my assurance that we will be doing something positive before Christmas."

The Conservative members voted for the amendment, even after condemning the consultation as a "farce", and slamming council officers for allegedly promoting the scheme. "It made me wonder who is actually running the council, the officers or the Liberal Democrats," said Hutton North member Cllr Vic Young.

Following the meeting Cllr Philip Reed, leader of the Conservative Group, said: "We are deeply concerned about the role of the officers in the consultation process, and I have made an official complaint to the District Auditor about it."

However on Wednesday Brentwood's Director of Technical Services, Dave Marchant, said: ''I am not aware the District Auditor has received a complaint. If he does then we will respond to it and help him in any way we can."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.