A LONG-AWAITED multi-million pound bypass could be a step nearer after Worcester-shire County Council was forced to buy a house that would be affected by the scheme.

Even though Stourport's £25 million inner relief road has not yet been given the green light, the county will have to pay more than £100,000 to the owner of a house in The Birches after he learned part of his garden would be used by the road following a public exhibition of the plans last year.

The owner, who has not yet moved out, then approached a chartered surveyor who negotiated the sale to the county.

"The fact that the council is buying property means it is sincere about the scheme going ahead," explained Stephen Hinton.

"No council likes buying things in advance of a road scheme - it causes havoc with its finances."

He added: "If anybody else in Stourport is affected by the scheme they can do the same. "There must be others as well - it's not a big road but it passes through a very densely populated town."

But the county, although confirming the sale had been agreed, denied it would make the scheme more likely as they were still bidding for Govern-ment money.

Stourport Town Council and a majority of businesses back the bypass, which would be built largely on the route of former railway lines.

Mr Hinton said if the scheme fell through the council would sell on the property - but until then it would have to manage it and any more it buys.

County highways engineering chief Des Smith said: "We have a fund for dealing with this that can be dipped into.

"I don't think buying this blighted property makes the scheme go forward in the Government's programme.

"We will be pushing for the Stourport relief road to be included in the local transportation plan in about July."