DARLINGTON'S eastern transport corridor will open a month late.

The multi-million pound road, which has been criticised for going £1.9m over-budget, was due to open this month.

However, the completion date has been put back until the end of June.

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: "The start of the programme was delayed because newts were discovered on the site.

"The work is now on course to meet the revised deadline of the end of June."

The delay is the latest problem to hit construction of the route between Haughton Road and the A66.

At the beginning of May, an independent inquiry blamed management errors for a £1.9m overspend which has taken the cost to £14.4m.

Last Friday, the scrutiny committee recommended bringing qualified consultants in to plan future projects, and said a review of the management structure should be held and that cabinet members should review their involvement in capital projects.

Coun Charles Johnson, deputy leader of the Conservatives group on the council, said: "The conclusion from the scrutiny committee was that there were errors and omissions at the start of the project. It wasn't just the newts. There were other problems. They have compounded right through."

Coun Martin Swainston, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "It sums the situation up. It is over-budget and overdue. It is disappointing that if this is the case, it wasn't mentioned at all on Friday."

When the plans were approved in 2002, it was hoped the road would open by 2004. The scheme received Government funding in 2006, before the contract was awarded to Birse Civils, enabling work to start.

Delays meant it did not start until the cold winter weather. Last summer's flooding caused more delays.

Road works in Haughton Road were set up on February 11 and were expected to last three months.

Coun David Lyonette, cabinet member for transport, said the delay would not affect many drivers because, unlike the Haughton Road lights, a temporary road would be set up in McMullen Road.

He said: "I understand this is being done on behalf of the public. It shouldn't have an affect on the work at Barton Street and Haughton Road."

However, businessman George Wright, whose grocer's shop has lost customers because of the work, said councillors should have been aware that newts were present.

He added: "I'm not surprised by the delay. It doesn't look ready."

- At a meeting to discuss the consultants' report this week, it emerged that a post created to stop problems blighting projects was never filled because the chief executive decided against it.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat members believe Ada Burns should have appointed an assistant director as recommended by the scrutiny committee.

Coun Swainson said: "The chief executive decided she was not going to act on the recommendation until it fitted in with her own restructuring plans. That brings into question the value of the scrutiny committee."

The £22,000 report compiled by construction experts E D Harris found the council was guilty of a series of oversights which allowed the cost to spiral out of control.

Up to £1m in compensation payments for home-owners was not considered, and the contract signed with builders Birse Civils left the council liable for costs caused by a delay in the start date.

Ms Burns said: "The management of major capital projects needed strengthening by much more than one post.

"The reorganisation has ensured we now have in place a range of professional skills and expertise to manage major projects successfully. The creation of just one new post would not provide me with the level of reassurance that I wanted."

Labour's Coun Ian Haszeldine said: "We had a very productive meeting which delivered clear outcomes. All members of the committee were concerned about the issues, not just opposition members.