LONG-SUFFERING campaigners fighting for a bypass around a village near York have been dealt another blow.

Residents at Shipton-by-Beningbrough have been battling since 1972 for the A19 traffic-calming scheme.

They say the £6.9 million bypass would divert the huge numbers of vehicles that pass through the village each day.

It was pencilled in to be built in 2008 as part of North Yorkshire County Council's draft transport plan.

But campaigners were dealt a bitter blow when county highways officials confirmed that Government funding would not be available for the bypass.

Dismayed villagers branded the decision a "disgrace", but remained hopeful that councillors would go against officer advice and back the scheme.

Now the transport blueprint has been put out to consultation in the community, and the decision to shun Shipton has attracted criticism. Requests to include the relief road in the county council's second Local Transport Plan have come from Hambleton District Council as well as Linton-on-Ouse and Shipton parish councils.

A residents' petition has also been received and the bid has been backed by NYCC's Hambleton Area Committee and the transport scrutiny committee at County Hall.

But despite this support, a senior NYCC transport officer today suggested the chances of a bypass for Shipton seeing the light of day in the new plan appeared slim.

Senior highways officer Elwyn Williams said the pro-Shipton responses would now be considered by councillors, who have the final say on what projects make the final blueprint.

But with the new transport plan due to be handed to the Government in July, he stressed that the council had been advised that Whitehall funding for the project was "unlikely".

Bill Hiles, chairman of Shipton Bypass Committee, said: "I hope it's not a lost cause."

He said villagers felt strongly that NYCC should look after the interests of residents, and not be scared off by the Government.

"We are still hopeful that the council will do what we feel is their duty," he said, adding that the committee would consider the council's decision before deciding the way forward and any future campaigns.

The draft transport plan will be discussed by the council's performance monitoring executive tomorrow before being considered by the full executive.

Updated: 08:47 Monday, June 13, 2005