A councillor is demanding a public inquiry into what he claims is "appalling behaviour" by the contractors building Bingley's new relief road.

Councillor Phillip Thornton is asking Bradford Council to investigate Amec's work on the £47.9 million three-mile road.

He claims the contractor has caused irreparable damage to the environment by storing soil at conservation sites which had been used by wildlife.

The Aire Valley Conservation Society has compiled a list of complaints, including noise pollution caused by piling at Crossflatts, lack of information to the public about the project and the closure of public footpaths.

Cllr Thornton said: "I've heard numerous complaints about the contractor's behaviour and, as far as I can see, there has been a catalogue of errors."

Cllr Thornton (Labour, Shipley East), who is a member of the Shipley Area Planning Panel, said he was annoyed that Amec had submitted two planning applications retrospectively, one for the North Bog and another for the South Bog, which were approved last Thursday, to store soil next to the road.

He said: "The council had its hands tied as the contractor had already begun to store soil on the site. We had no choice but to approve the applications.

"The contractors have acted appallingly. They don't seem to care about informing residents of the work they're doing and don't seem bothered about the mess they are making."

Cllr Thornton said he would be urging the council to look into the grievances listed by the Aire Valley Conservation Society at a full council meeting in City Hall.

Charly Clark, Amec's project manager, said the level of complaints the company had received was nominal.

"Normally, there would be quite a lot of complaints for a job of this size and we have had very little," she said.

There were plenty of opportunities for people to raise their concerns at neighbourhood forums and the public exhibitions which had been held by the company, she added.

The road will be completed by Autumn 2003.