Opposing sides are set to square up in the battle of Odsal just when the builders should be moving in.

A public inquiry into a planned £60 million revamp of the huge stadium at Odsal is now scheduled to begin in early September - for three weeks - at a time when the developers hoped to be making progress on the site.

Developers Sterling Capitol wants to create a 26,000 all-seater stadium on the site of the Bradford Bulls' home.

The redevelopment would include a Tesco superstore, hotel, leisure and new pitches at the neighbouring Richard Dunn sports centre. The retail element of the scheme would fund the sports stadium, and the development would bring about 1,600 jobs for local people.

But Local Government Minister Stephen Byers called the scheme in for a public inquiry amid allegations there were already too many superstores in the area and the new development could create pollution problems and extra traffic.

Among the protesters are Sir Ken Morrison's supermarket business and neighbouring councils.

Today Bradford Council said it faces a bill for several hundred thousand pounds as it faces the inquiry in the separate roles of both planning authority and land owner.

Even though the Government will foot most of the bill for the public investigation into the plans, the authority faces its own six figure costs for barristers and experts.

Mr Byers' department has set the preliminary date for the major inquiry in September and it is expected to run for three weeks, but if necessary a date for a further week would be set in October.

The decision prolongs a saga which started almost a decade ago when ambitious plans by another company for a proposed £200 million Odsal Superdome were unveiled.

The scheme put forward by John Garside received planning permission but subsequently collapsed before work even started.

The anticipated autumn date for the inquiry - which would take several months to determine - now banishes all hope of a world class stadium being ready for Bradford Bulls by next year.

The Rugby League World Champions have moved temporarily to Bradford City's ground at Valley Parade in the heart of Manningham, much to the displeasure of many Bulls' fans.

But Bulls chairman Chris Caisley has vowed that the team will move back to Odsal next season whether the redevelopment goes ahead or not, because the fans wanted to return to their spiritual homeland. He said today: "We remain fully committed to the planning application but we have a business to run and our whole focus now is just getting back to Odsal next season."

Developers Sterling Capitol could find themselves in a public inquiry just at the time they expected to start work on the development.

Bradford Council's Chief Executive Ian Stewart said meetings would be held with Sterling Capitol, Tesco and other interested parties.

He added all implications including cost and likely success would be considered and a full report would go to councillors before a decision was made about how to proceed.

He said he could not estimate the cost to the Council of the inquiry but it would be "very considerable."

Executive member for the economy Councillor Simon Cooke said the Council's costs would probably run to hundreds of pounds.

He added: "We have a huge amount of work to do in the mean time. We are clear what the case is and it is very strong. It is a vital development for Bradford."

But a spokesman for Kirklees Council, which has lodged an objection to the planning application, said: "We are objecting to the retail element of the scheme which we believe would undermine Cleckheaton town centre and other town centres in North Kirklees."

Bradford planning consultant Philip Coote said he was objecting to the scale of the proposals and believed more modest improvements were sufficient.

No comment was available today from Sterling Capitol.

But Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe, who has submitted a written statement for the inquiry in strong support of the scheme, welcomed the anticipated inquiry date and said he hoped there would be an early result.

Minister for Sport Richard Caborn also supports the redevelopment of the stadium.