Traders operating a flower stall and hot dog stand in the heart of Bradford city centre made emotional appeals to councillors not to end their licences. The traders attended a Council licensing meeting to discuss whether trading should be stopped in all city centre streets because of the major redevelopment of the central shopping area.

Council director of transportation, design and planning Alan Mainwaring sent a report to the licensing panel at City Hall yesterday saying the redevelopment - and particularly the Broadway shopping scheme - should not be fettered by the need to retain stands for street traders.

There are currently two permanent traders, Katherine Thompson who owns the flower stand, and Dragovan Dobricic who owns the hot food stall.

Shoppers frequently queue at both stalls and the traders say they make a decent living.

The panel decided a full public consultation exercise should be held into the feasibility of prohibiting trading in all city centre streets.

The results of the consultation would be considered again by the panel before a decision is made on the controversial issue. But Councillor David Harrison (Con, Craven) said the traders were being left with the "sword of Damocles" hanging over them and he wished they could have been given some certainty.

Council officer Nick Ackroyd told the panel there was no firm start date yet for the Broadway development and everything was not yet in place.

Councillor Tony Niland (Lab, Wyke) said: "It sounds silly if you want to stop small businesses from operating if you don't even know any dates. It doesn't seem to be logical."

Councillor Sagawal Hussain (Lab, University) said he would like to see more traders on the streets and believed they were an attraction.

Mrs Thompson's husband, Stuart, said: "There are no grounds at all for making this a prohibited street. Already we see local councillors who are disturbed about the way this process has been started."

Mr Dobricic said: "You say we have to move because something special is needed in Bradford. But that was the whole idea of setting us up."

He said the traders had stayed during other major work carried out in Darley Street and had moved along as the contracts were being carried out.

But chairman Councillor Martin Smith said they were only agreeing to a public consultation exercise into the feasibility of the issue and nothing would happen before all sides were considered.

Mrs Thompson said after the meeting: "This is our livelihood and we have worked hard at it. Visitors from all over have been to the flower stand and we have been highly praised for the contribution we make to the city."