It's a case of crisis meetings, lawyers at five paces and gamesmanship galore between the RTA, council and doctors. Legal tussles loom and more disruption to residents and businesses seems certain.

The Hills Shire council needs the eastern ring-road approved so it can move on to transform Castle Hill into the ``Paris of the North-West.''

This involves the refurbishment of Old Northern Road in the CBD with footpath-dining and a traffic-calmed, pedestrian-friendly ambience complete with pretty lights and airy trees.

But the RTA is up to its old tricks, refusing suddenly on safety grounds to take over the ring-road, despite endorsing the original plan by signing off on four safety audits, the latest in February.

However, in May, a RTA executive in the RTA inexplicably changed his mind. There was suddenly a safety problem which previously did not exist.

Then there's the Castle Hill Day Surgery, which wants to expand its premises.

The RTA now says the exit from the surgery's underground car park into Terminus Street at a sweeping bend in the new ring-road is a potential safety hazard.

Cars from the day surgery will exit the corner building into two lanes of heavy traffic in peak hours with T-bone accidents likely.

``Why couldn't the RTA have foreseen this problem before? They originally gave the proposal a big tick,'' one council insider asks. ``So why is this now a problem? Any busy street in Sydney has similar building exits.''

The doctors' group behind the day surgery has suggested a compromise.

In confidential documents, they say, in effect, ``We want direct access to the council car park via a hole in our wall to give us a new way in. Patients can then exit their cars into McDougall Lane.''

Council, via its lawyers, has responded: ``Not on your Nelly.'' The council insider said: ``The council car park between Terminus Street and McDougall Lane is the key to the future of Castle Hill. It's the only centralised, potential building site left.''

The site is destined for high rise development.

``We can't devalue our asset by giving it to the doctors, and we can't create a precedent.''

Council has offered a compromise. It's prepared to put in stop-go traffic lights in McDougall Lane, where the surgery centre currently has car park access.

But that plan has not impressed the doctors.

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While the lawyers hover as a legal case or two looms, it's more disruption as usual for residents and businesses.