No further work will be carried out on Bradford's Odeon site until a decision is reached on a sixth bid for listed building status.

Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeals Committee yesterday demanded an assurance from the Odeon's owner, Yorkshire Forward, that work would halt while they considered an application by Bradford Odeon Rescue Group (BORG) to serve a Building Preservation Notice on the site.

Committee chairman Clive Richardson adjourned the meeting until he received confirmation from Yorkshire Forward.

The committee decided it was not necessary to serve the Building Preservation Notice until the listed status application is decided by Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Councillor Chris Greaves (Con, Wharfedale) said he was satisfied with the outcome. He said: "Now we have got the assurance from Yorkshire Forward I am happy with the decision.

"What we wanted is the assurance that it will not touch the building until the decision from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport comes through.

"If it decides the building is not worth saving, then we will accept that. What we did not want though is for them to come back and say it is worth saving and then find out it has been demolished."

During the meeting, Christine Kerrin, the Council's design and conservation team leader, said she believed the application for listed status, which is expected to be decided by Christmas, had been submitted by BORG.

The notice would have protected the building for six months and provided time to arrange a full independent structural survey.

A petition of 1,000 names was submitted alongside the request in October by BORG to Liberal Democrat Councillor David Ward (Idle and Thackley), who spoke at the meeting yesterday.

BORG supporters John Pashley, John Tempest and group chairman Norman Littlewood were allowed to make representations to the committee.

After the meeting, Mr Pashley said: "The Council has really taken the matter seriously and they are not believing everything which they are told - they are now starting to question it."

A Yorkshire Forward and Bradford Centre Regeneration spokesman said: "We endorse the Council's decision not to award a Building Preservation Notice.

"We do not consider that it would be appropriate given that the DCMS is already considering a sixth application to list the former Odeon building."

"English Heritage and the DCMS have considered the Bradford Odeon for listing on five previous occasions since 1996.

"All of the applications have proved unsuccessful as English Heritage did not consider the building of a prerequisite quality to warrant listed status."

The cinema and bingo hall, which closed in 2000, is earmarked for demolition as part of a £55 million New Victoria Place scheme.

In 2005, the Bradford City Centre Area Assessment noted that the Odeon was not considered to be of exceptional quality. It added: "an outstanding building of the modern, high quality, design could make an equally, if not more impressive contribution to what is a key site."