PLANS to culvert the Chellow Dean Beck in order to create more garden space at some properties in Girlington have been refused by Bradford Council.

Mr Ditta And Mr Khan applied to Bradford Council to alter the beck’s behind 109 and 111 Allerton Road, and raise the ground level of the properties rear gardens.

But planning officers said that the need to create garden space was not a good enough reason to alter the flow of a beck.

The refusal report said: “Simply straightening a water course, removing meanders, riffles and pools greatly reduces the wildlife value. It increases the flow of water, flushing invertebrate life away and reducing the foundations of the ecological food web. Culverting the beck adds a further level of adverse impact. Both are being proposed in this application, simply to provide additional garden space.”