The company spearheading the re-birth of Bradford city centre has appointed a team of top consultants to draw up a detailed report on the use of the Odeon Cinema site.

Global consulting engineers Arup will lead the team conducting the study which is expected to be completed by the middle of next month.

Arup designed the Sydney Opera House in Australia, London's Millennium bridge and was involved with the replacement World Trade Centre in New York.

The move comes as campaigners apply to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for listing of the building in Princes Way.

They want all or part of the 1930s structure to be preserved as part of the district's heritage, backed by a 2,000-name petition with their application.

But there have also been calls for a prestigious concert hall to be built on the prime site next to the Alhambra.

Today Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Centre Regeneration, said: "The Odeon Cinema with its two distinctive towers is one of the city's best known landmarks.

"The purpose of the survey is to see how this site can be regenerated in accordance with the city centre's overall masterplan. We recognise the affection that some people in the district have for the building and we want to know if it can be retained - in whole or part - and at what cost.

"If it can't we need to establish what other uses would be appropriate."

She said BCR would look at the options available for the site when the study was complete and the result of the assessments would be announced in July.

"Once there is a clear idea of what the final uses of the site and its existing buildings should be, a more detailed feasibility study will be undertaken. This in turn will lead to a development brief. Obviously a concert hall would be one of the things they would look at," she said.

Norman Littlewood, who has led the campaign to get all or part of the building listed, welcomed the study.

He said although the Government had previously decided against listing the building, campaigners had received an indication that their new bid was stronger because of a threat of demolition hanging over it.

BCR - a joint venture company set up by Bradford Council and Yorkshire Forward - is basing its vision for the city on a masterplan prepared by international architect Will Allsop.

The Odeon closed four years ago when an Odeon multiplex opened in Thornbury. It was bought by a London development company which obtained planning permission to turn it into a casino, hotel, restaurants and bars. But the building came back on the market when the developer dropped out and it was bought for an estimated £2 million by Government regeneration agency Yorkshire Forward shortly before BCR was set up.