Developers of the planned £200 million Superdome could face a fight with other developers for Odsal Stadium if they do not come forward with funding plans by December 31.

It could leave the door open for other would-be developers like millionaire Eddie Healey - developer of Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre - who wants to put a prestige sports stadium and shops on the site.

Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood told developers that they would no longer enjoy "exclusivity" if they missed the end-of-year deadline.

The Council's corporative executive sub-committee agreed to continue to support the long-delayed scheme.

But it turned down a move from Tory and Liberal Democrat councillors to have further meetings before the next quarterly review on December 18.

The meeting will be just 13 days before the contract with Superdome runs out and the developers' bankers say they will be able to announce funders well before that date.

But the opposition members hit out strongly at the decision to leave the meeting so near the deadline.

Leader of the Council's Tory group Councillor Margaret Eaton said: "We think this means the Labour group will steamroller another extension through."

But Coun Greenwood said: "I have made it clear there will be a deadline and I never steamroller things through."

He said the opposition councillors would be kept fully informed of what was happening in the meantime.

Leader of the Council's Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said she was concerned the Council was working on old traffic assessments when other developments, including proposals for the Vicar lane leisure centre and another major leisure development at Thornbury, were now also being planned.

She said she feared there could be major traffic problems for the public.

l The sub-committee agreed, in a separate session, to a visit by social services committee chairman Councillor Mike Young and director Liam Hughes to the national Social Services Annual Conference at Brighton next month.

Councillors Irene Ellison Wood and Simon Cooke would also go, at an estimated cost of £852, excluding Mr Hughes.

Opposition councillors questioned the expenditure at a time of a £1 million plus over-spend in social services.

Coun Sunderland said: "It would be the equivalent of 100 hours cleaning which could mean a lot for some people."

But sub-committee chairman Councillor Mohammed Ajeeb said the visit should go ahead to keep the Council abreast of issues and improve services.

A visit by Coun Greenwood to the Eurocities annual conference and general meeting at Lille, France, next month was also approved. The estimated cost on the agenda report was £697. But Coun Eaton claimed the report was misleading because the bill would also include the cost of two officers who would attend.

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