A top level inquiry has been ordered into complaints that the Deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford failed to declare an interest while a storm raged about controversial plans for five new children's homes in the district.

The allegations against the chairman of the Council's social care and housing scrutiny committee, Councillor Grahame Thornton, were made to the Standards Board for England, which deals with complaints that councillors have broken their authority's code of conduct.

Now the board, which considered the official complaint by Labour Odsal ward Councillor Jim O'Neill, has referred it to an ethical standards officer for investigation.

Coun O'Neill reported to the standards board that the chairman failed to declare an interest when plans for the children's home at East Morton were discussed by his committee on July 3 at City Hall.

During the stormy five-hour meeting to discuss all the planned homes it was disclosed that the East Morton site thought to have been owned by the Council had been accidentally transferred to the Aire-Wharfe Community Housing Trust.

But Coun O'Neill complained that Baildon Councillor Thornton, a board member of Bradford Community Housing Trust, had failed to disclose an interest and continued to take part in the debate and vote after the mistake came to light.

Bradford Community Housing Trust is the umbrella body of five smaller trusts including Aire-Wharfe, which have separate boards.

The Trust is now transferring the land back to the Council and a planning application for the home has been prepared.

The proposals for homes at Carr Lane, East Morton, Sowden House, Thornton and Netherhall Square, Low Moor have sparked fury in the communities.

Residents claim consultation has been flawed and all three sites are unsuitable. Dozens of complaints have been made to Local Government Ombudsman Patricia Thomas about the way the issues have been dealt with and hundreds of people are signing petitions.

But the Council says full appraisals were made of 40 potential sites which received scores using criteria on the suitability of the sites. The five selected sites were then agreed by the Council's executive committee.

Today Coun O'Neill, who is also a member of the Community Housing Trust board, and supports people campaigning against the Low Moor site, said: "I have been notified that an ethical standards officer will carry out an investigation and I welcome the decision. I hope people who were at the meeting will come forward."

Coun Thornton confirmed he had been notified of the inquiry but said he could not comment at this stage.

But at the time the complaint was submitted Coun Thornton told the Telegraph & Argus the land was owned by the Aire-Wharfe Community Housing Trust and he was not a member of that particular board so did not need to declare an interest.

East Morton campaigner Deborah Longbottom said: "We are hopeful an inquiry would clear up a number of issues. At the scrutiny committee meeting his words carried significant weight because he was the chairman."

The inquiry into the complaint is not expected to take longer than four months and the officer could conclude: there is no evidence the member has broken any part of the code of conduct; no further action need be taken; the matter should be referred to Bradford Council's monitoring officer, Gerry Danby; or the matter should be referred to the Adjudication Panel for England.

The Standards Board dismissed complaints from Coun O'Neill that the vice-chairman of the scrutiny committee Councillor Valerie Binney was allowed to speak at length at the meeting about an issue involving her own Thornton ward and ask questions in her role as a member.

Work has already started at homes in Allerton and Shipley and planning applications are being prepared for the East Morton and Low Moor sites.

No planning consent is needed for the Thornton property and the Council is proceeding with its acquisition. But officers are continuing to consult residents on all the sites.

Director of social services Alison O'Sullivan and the Council's executive member for community including social services Councillor Kris Hopkins are expected to be at a neignbourhood forum in East Morton Institute on Monday starting at 7pm.