Traders in Bradford city centre want a "no Meadowhall" pledge from Bradford Council over Odsal Stadium.

New proposals being considered after John Garside's Super-dome bit the dust were being discussed at a meeting of Brad-ford Retail Action Group today.

The Council is about to start a marketing exercise to choose a new developer for the stadium which houses Bradford Bulls.

Chelverton Properties, which has taken over from Superdome UK , is expected to figure strongly in the line up of potential developers with proposals which would include shopping, leisure and a scaled-down sports ground. The company is the developer of the massive out-of-town Bluewater shopping development at Dartford, Kent.

Millionaire Eddie Healey - developer of Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield - could also vie for development rights but says the sports ground could not be included without sufficient shopping to fund it.

Today BRAG chairman Jeff Frankel said they wanted firm reassurances from the Council about any scheme: "We would not support any sort of retail element similar to or anything like Meadowhall." Sheffield traders had been badly hit by the Meadowhall development.

Council leader Ian Greenwood said: "I would be more than happy to meet BRAG about this."

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