WEYMOUTH was handed its best present for decades today after officials gave the green light to the £84 million relief road.

The new route cleared its last planning hurdle when Dorset County Council was given approval to buy the land needed for the long-awaited scheme

Supporters of the road plan say it will ease congestion on Dorchester Road and unlock the key to economic prosperity.

All that remains is for the Government to confirm the finance for the project - merely a formality according to South Dorset MP Jim Knight, who said the case for the road has already been won in Whitehall.

Council chiefs agree, saying it would be difficult' at this stage for government officials to do a U-turn.

Archaeological investigations along the route have already begun and it is expected earthmoving works to construct the five-mile single carriageway from Manor Roundabout to Ridgeway Hill will start in the new year.

Today's landmark decision follows a public inquiry into the compulsory purchase and side road orders needed for the scheme.

The orders - covering the 138 hectares needed for the new road including land for nature conservation in the Lorton Valley - were approved by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.

Jim Knight said: "This is fantastic news for the borough. Today feels like we have put the relief in relief road.

"The planning process is now complete. The finance was dependent on planning approval and now needs to be confirmed. I don't think it will be an issue. The case has been presented and won and we just have to go through the process. We're 99.9 per cent of the way there."

Mr Knight added: "The economic harvest can now be reaped. This road will enable us to get that bit closer to the rest of the world."

Dorset County Council environment director Miles Butler welcomed the decision and looked forward to the financial approval.

He said: "We're absolutely delighted. This project is long awaited and very welcome. Our business case which includes the finance has to be confirmed by the Government and I too hope this is just a formality. The letter we received confirming the CPOs said some very encouraging things about finance, but there's a process we have to go through.

"It would be difficult at this stage for the Government not to approve the finance.

"We've been asked to do some work on traffic modelling for the business case and we should know the decision by the end of the year. We're already on site doing preliminary work ahead of the funding decision, after which we can commit major resources."

The borough council heralded the start of an exciting chapter in the town's history. Spokesman for transport and infrastructure Christine James said: "This isn't just good news, it's great news - we have been waiting for this for so long. This is a very exciting period for our borough and today's news will be welcomed by businesses, residents and visitors."

Broadwey ward county councillor Harry Burden added: "An overwhelming number of local people support the relief road and I'm sure they will be pleased to hear that work could be starting soon. My only concern is that those living along the road will not be inconvenienced during the construction period.

"I will do everything possible to ensure there are measures in place."

Civil engineering contractors Skanska have set up the site compound in Littlemoor for archaeologists who have started advance investigations on the Ridgeway.

An area of 50,000 square metres will be excavated to ensure that anything of historical importance is recovered.

Residents will be able to find out more about the construction of the road in October when the project manager and contractor Skanska will be on hand to answer any questions at exhibitions held in Weymouth and Dorchester.

Calls for a relief road since 1920s

THE announcement that council chiefs have been given approval to acquire the land needed for the Weymouth Relief Road comes after decades of campaigning.

If sheer support were the determining factor, Weymouth would have had its relief road built years ago.

Calls for a relief road go back to the 1920s. Later, a 1956 sketch set out plans for a dual

carriageway from Ridgeway Hill to Westham Bridge via Upwey and Nottington.

In 1986 attempts were made to bring forward a £4 million Littlemoor-Ridgeway scheme. The cost of the current scheme is now put at £84 million.

In 2000 the controversial Brown Route finally got the go-ahead. A Dorset Echo poll at the time had showed the majority of residents backed a relief road, and our plea in support of the scheme was handed to Roads Minister Keith Hill when he visited Weymouth.

But the Brown Route was soon history as

support switched back to the previously rejected Orange Route by 2003 because it was cheaper - an estimated £54.6 million - and felt to be less damaging to nature interests.

Wildlife groups such as Dorset Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and English Nature - now part of Natural England - praised the county council for the switch.

Jubilant supporters celebrated in September 2004 when the relief road was granted final Government approval.

But West Dorset District Council, which also supports the road, was rocked in January 2006 when an independent Government inspector

recommended deleting the top part of the road from the West Dorset Local Plan because of its landscape impact.

The council reaffirmed its support for the road, as did Dorchester's business leaders, who said it would benefit both towns.

In July 2006 the Government agreed priority funding for the £77 million Orange Route scheme which now awaited planning permission.

Business leaders from Weymouth and Dorchester joined forces and launched an End the siege... relief road now!' sticker campaign to show the strength of support for the road whose design was altered to help it blend in more with the environment.

Planning permission was finally granted for the scheme in April 2007.

But the whole question of a relief road was thrown back into the melting pot when a public inquiry was called to look into compulsory

purchase and side road orders for the scheme which was now put at £84 million.

The county council needed to acquire dozens of lots totalling more than 300 acres. A pre-inquiry meeting caused a stir when inspector Alan Gray ruled that the issue of need' for the road would also be looked at during the inquiry.

The long inquiry, which was adjourned a

number of times, heard dozens of submissions from supporters and opponents of the scheme before it closed in March this year.

Mr Gray's findings were originally expected to be revealed some time around the end of July.

But the Government Office for the North East, which deals with all compulsory purchase orders, continued to consider the inquiry

findings and by late summer was still not able to give the county council an indication of exactly when the final decision would be revealed.

Meanwhile, the summer saw anti-relief road campaigners make a last-ditch attempt to state their case with representations to the Government.

Earlier this month Littlemoor

residents raised concerns over a

compound that sprung up to serve as a base for archaeological works ahead of the road scheme.

Locals suggested that work on the road might already be under way.

That now becomes a reality with today's announcement.