The country's top developers are to tour Bradford's mills with a view to turning them into trendy homes.

Around 150 people from around the country will attend the 2005 Mills Conference in June and get a tour of city's industrial architectural gems.

Organiser Nigel Grizzard said the idea was to showcase the great changes underway in the city and to show off the great potential remaining in the grand, old untouched buildings.

Mr Grizzard who used to work for Bradford Council in the chief executive's office, has been organising the annual conference since 1991 when mill conversion was rare.

"A few then were being turned into offices and that was about it. But later the mills' potential as homes was recognised.

"Most had their windows knocked out and pigeons flying in and out so it is very satisfying when you see them as homes for people to live in."

He said the transformations achieved at Victoria Mill in Saltaire, Little Germany, and Lister's Mill in Manningham were an inspiration.

"The idea of the conference is to look for new owners for the other mills which haven't been done up.

"We always get a fair bit of success. It is not like finding buyers for Smarties or ice-creams but it may be a year down the line someone expresses an interest sparked by what they will have seen during their time in Bradford."

The conference has previously been held in towns such as Huddersfield, Halifax, Blackburn, Bolton and Wakefield.

Councillor Simon Cooke, Bradford Council's executive member for regeneration, said the idea of the conference was to bring developers together to share ideas and to show them around real conversions.

He added: "There cannot be a better place to go right now than Bradford. We are delighted they are coming and it gives me the opportunity to "sell" Bradford to them."

Developers from all over the UK including Cornwall and Northern Ireland will be attending the two-day event based at the university, which includes guest speakers including Simon Gawthorpe, from Urban Splash, which has converted Lister Mill.

Mr Grizzard said although converting mills was now widespread the industry was always changing.

"If a developer sees what another has done then they will start thinking: "I could do that."

He said he could think of around 50 mills just in the Sunbridge Road/Thornton Road which are just ripe for renovation.

One of his own personal favourites is the conversion of the former Reading Rooms, at 53, Leeds Road, which are now flats.

He said the buildings always made magnificent homes but the challenge was trying to persuade people to live in them.

However the successes at Lister Mill and Victoria Mill proved it could be done.

He added: "We are bringing together people working in the mill industry and saying to them: Come and look at Bradford."