Plans for a major Bradford DIY development have been backed by councillors.

The Council's regulatory and appeals committee decided to back a planning application by Alfred McAlpine and Lattice Property Holders to develop part of builders' merchant Uriah Woodhead's site off Canal Road.

It would include a B&Q retail warehouse with a garden centre - but the DIY giants have told the Council they intended to keep their existing superstore at Thornbury open. They also hope to be part of a development on land at West Bowling Golf Club.

The developers' plans involve demolishing one of Uriah Woodhead's depots to make way for the B&Q store and the planning application includes a new headquarters for the century-old Bradford company.

Members were told the B&Q store would employ about 250 staff ranging from general sales to experts including plumbers, electricians, builders and joiners.

Planning officer Linda Beckett told the committee the proposed development provided a quality landscaping scheme on the former British Gas site where contamination has been cleared.

The applicants would be asked to sign-up legal agreements to provide:

A traffic calming scheme on Valley Road to help implement a section of the national cycle route scheme;

Upgrading of the Canal Road/Kings Road junction.

Mrs Beckett said a 480-space car park would provide nine spaces for use by the disabled and eight spaces for parents with small children.

Uriah Woodhead managing director, John Walker, has previously said he has no plans to sell the site affected by the proposals and was totally refurbishing his existing depot from end to end.

But Tim Waring, agent for the developers, said at the meeting they intended to go ahead with the development "as soon as practicable" if John Prescott, Secretary of State for the Department of Local Government, Transport and the Regions, gave the go-ahead.

The application has to be referred to Mr Prescott because it does not comply with the Council's approved development plan for the site.

Members were told it would have a significant impact on the Thornbury B&Q store - the largest DIY store in Bradford.

But she said B&Q had told the Council they would continue to trade at Thornbury and did not intend to close it.

But Councillor Chris Greaves and Councillor Phil Thornton said the parking provisions for disabled people and mothers and toddlers were "totally inadequate" and the company should be told it must provide more. Ward Councillor Allan Hillary told the committee he was concerned about the traffic impact the scheme would produce at the bottom on Kings Road, where there were already traffic build-ups.