The £200 million pound Odsal Superdome plan is expected to be finally dropped at the end of the year.

Bradford councillors agreed to to re-market Odsal Stadium for redevelopment when their contract with Superdome UK officially ends on December 31.

And today the new company which wants to develop the site welcomed the decision and said it hoped its scaled-down scheme would win approval.

The Council's corporate executive sub-committee was told last night that Superdome UK would be happy to see Chelverton Properties take over the project.

Chelverton wants to develop the site along the lines of Superdome but would build a smaller stadium.

But the sub-committee meeting stressed that the marketing exercise would be open and thorough and Chelverton would not automatically be in the lead.

The decision to market the home of the Bradford Bulls was taken at the end of a stormy meeting during which the five- year delay over Superdome drew heavy criticism.

Councillor Margaret Eaton (Con, Bingley) said: "I don't think anyone of us would want another disastrous five years."

She said the Superdome issue had been an "absolute disaster" and demanded to know the cost. "If we are moving into another stage, the people of the city should know exactly how much this regrettable matter has cost the Council."

But Council Leader Ian Greenwood said the Council had entered into the Superdome contract in good faith and should not be looking backwards.

He said: "We can't guarantee that someone is going to come along and spend £100 million on Bradford."

He said the marketing would be on the basis of the planning consent given to Superdome for shopping, leisure and other activities.

After the meeting residents' spokesman David Warburton said they wanted full and regular consultation on future plans for the stadium.

Bradford Bulls director Jack Bates, who was at the meeting, said: "The Bulls' future is at stake. They have got to get it

100 per cent right this time."

Carlo Comminos, of Chel-

erton Properties said: "We are obviously very pleased and look forward to getting the details of the exercise and going forward on that basis.

"If we are selected, we look forward to working very closely with the Council and presenting a scheme which is commercially viable."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.