A building contractor will try to get the city-centre Odeon Cinema listed to save it from demolition.

Norman Littlewood will ask the Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport to include it on the list of buildings which have earned the status because of their architectural or historical importance.

Government regeneration agency Yorkshire Forward made an 11th hour bid at an auction last year to buy the domed building beside the Alhambra Theatre in Thornton Road.

A masterplan for the city centre drawn up by international architect Will Alsop shows a marquee-type structure on the site with the two domes of the former cinema retained.

And the Spice! project wants to develop a visitor and shopping centre there with spices, herbs and aromatics as its theme.

But today Norman Littlewood, of Pear Tree Works, Wyke, appealed for support in his campaign to save the building.

He said the building was a typical Italian Renaissance design

"The rising white fluted columns supporting the two exquisite domes are special to that era," he said.

Mr Littlewood, managing dir-ector of Norman E Littlewood, said other parts of the building were peculiar to the 15th and 16th century style developed by Florentine Brunelleschi and his contemporaries.

He said the building had some of the finest brickwork of its era. "During my happy 62 years in building, I built a similar but smaller area of this type of brickwork on a building," he said.

"There are two million bricks in the Odeon. It is absolutely irreplaceable."

Jan Smithies, Spice! project director, said: "Within the masterplan the domes would remain, which would give scope to design requirements should Spice be located on this site.

"A sympathetic version can produce something incredible which can give a venue a whole new purpose."

A spokesman for English Heritage, which advises the Department of Culture, Media and Sport when it receives applications, said the building has been considered for listing twice in the last eight years.

"It has a grand exterior but the interior has been radically altered and redesigned," said the spokesman.

"A further application would need to be accompanied by new facts not previously been considered."

But Mr Littlewood said the inside of the building had been altered using lightweight structures and could revert back to its original lay out.

Maud Marshall, of Bradford Centre Regeneration, which has just finished a public consultation exercise on the masterplan, said no decision had been made on the Odeon.

"We recognise the tremendous affection people have for it," she said. "The masterplan retains the domes."

The cinema was dubbed "the Wonder of the North" when it opened in 1930.

It began its days as a cinema and theatre combined with seats for more than 3,300 people.

There were personal appearances by film stars of the day including Gracie Fields and Margaret Lockwood.

At the start of the 1950s it became the Gaumont, with emphasis on stage shows.

The Beatles, Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly were among stars performing to packed houses.

It shut three years ago when a 13-screen Odeon multiplex opened in Thornbury.

Mr Littlewood is a member of Low Moor Historical Society which is supporting his campaign.

He is asking people to send letters or petitions of support for listing to him at Pear Tree Works, Bradford BD12 8HT.