BRAMHOPE is preparing to clash swords with Leeds over a prominent wall that started life as old dry stone but ended up made of modern red brick.

Parish and ward councillors have been trying for months to find out why new flats off Leeds Road, on the old Shell garage site, have been built with a boundary wall made of inappropriate material.

Now, after sending three letters to Leeds City Council's planning depart-ment, they finally have an answer - but it's not the one they had hoped for.

It seems that after the original scheme was passed developers Consort Homes asked, and was allowed, to change the wall under 'minor modifications' rules - without anyone in the local community being consulted.

Bramhope Parish and ward Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Adel and Wharfedale) said: "At some later stage Consort approached a planning officer requesting a minor modification to the plans whereby a brick wall would be substituted for the agreed stone wall.

"That officer agreed to the change as a minor modification and Consort went ahead. Legally, therefore Consort have done nothing wrong -- they sought and received consent for a brick wall. I understand they are not willing now to replace the brick wall with a stone one.

"The parish council share my concern that no reference was made to any of us about the modification. Even though it would have been apparent from the file that the parish council and ward member had been involved in a number of discussions with the original planning officer, and indeed Consort, about the design of the flats including the boundary wall.

"The intention was always that it should match the adjacent A660 stone walls on its northern side.

"Throughout the building of the flats there was a huge hoarding on site with an artist's impression illustrating the development clearly showing a stone boundary wall.

"It was understood by everyone concerned that there was to be a stone boundary wall. Indeed the report to the plans panel stated there would be a stone boundary wall and because it was so stated it never crossed the mind of anyone, particularly panel members, that it was necessary to include a planning condition to that effect.

"So what we have is an issue of whether the change was a minor modification or whether it should have been the subject of a full planning application on the grounds that whatever else it was -- in the context of the report to the plans panel and in light of earlier member and parish council involvement -- it could not reasonably be regarded as a minor change to be affected without consultation."

Coun Fox took up the issue with Leeds on behalf of the parish council, eventually receiving a reply and apology for the lack of response from Head of Planning Services, Sue Wraith.

The parish council will this week decide how to respond and is keeping tight-lipped until it has exhausted every avenue available in trying to get the wall re-built.

Bramhope Parish Council Chairman Councillor Colin Robert-son would only say: "I am very disappointed with the reply from Leeds but this is not the end of the situation."