Bradford's historic Odeon Cinema is the subject of a new bid from a national development company after being put back on the market.

Agents Knight Frank would not give the amount of the offer but it is understood to be in excess of £2 million.

The cinema is being sold complete with planning consent for demolition and replacement with leisure facilities.

London developers Grange Estates bought the building on one of the most important sites in the city last year following its closure in July, 2000 when Odeon opened a 13-screen multiplex in Thornbury.

The purchase came shortly after it went on the market and the owners said the planned modern terraced building with towers would complement the Alhambra's domes.

The plans included a hotel, casino, restaurants and bars, but there were calls from residents for the old building to be saved as part of Bradford's heritage.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney has also called for a prestige concert hall to be developed on the site.

But Grange Estates dropped out of the sale because it proved to be a longer term project than they had anticipated.

Today chairman of Bradford area planning panel, Councillor Clive Richardson, said: "I hope the new owners will get on and do something because it is an eyesore.

"Even though it may have been a wonderful building in its time, something positive needs to happen to it now."

Alex Munro, a partner with Knight Frank, said there had been a number of companies interested in buying the building which opened in 1930.

Mr Knight said he could not name the developer but the transaction was going through lawyers.

The boundaries of the city centre conservation area were recently changed to include the cinema.

But any new demolition proposals would not be affected by the new designation because the planning consent was given 11 months before the changes were approved.

John Pennington, president of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the progress. "Something needs to be done to the building and it should be a development which would bring people in from outside," he said.

"I'm not talking about a nightclub, I'm talking about entertainment."