A major public inquiry into land use in the district over the next 15 years will go ahead - despite a Government announcement this week that it intends to change the system.

Bradford Council faces a bill of more than £1 million for the inquiry into its Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and has spent thousands of pounds on widespread public consultation. The inquiry, which starts in November is expected to last about three months and the Council has received 10,000 representations on the proposals.

But deputy prime minister John Prescott announced this week that he wanted to scrap UDPs and replace them with Local Development Frameworks. The move is designed to further regionalise planning blueprints.

Consultations into the Government proposals will take place this summer and legislation would be brought in in about 18 months' time.

But the Council fears the timing of the announcement means there could be widespread confusion, as people prepare for the inquiry

Councillor Ann Ozolins (Lib Dem, Idle) said the announcement meant the UDP exercise was "a waste of both time and tax payers' money".

She added: "It is yet another example of bad planning by the Government. What we are doing is going to be overtaken and a lot of people just won't bother going through the process now. It's a disgrace."

A spokesman from Mr Prescott's office said today: "Because Bradford Council is so far down the line and in view of the money already spent the public inquiry will go ahead."

But he could not comment on whether the Council may have to make changes after the inquiry when the new system comes into force.

Andy Haigh the Council's group planning manager, development plan and policy, said the Council had anticipated the Government would make changes.

He said it had taken this into account when drawing up the plan and did not expect problems when the new system was brought in.

The Council's executive member for the environment, Councillor Anne Hawkesworth said: "There is no change to the process we are going through with UDP."

l The Council this week placed in public libraries and Council offices final copies of the UDP, containing revisions made as a result of public consultations. Objections to the revisions must be made by August 20 and will go to the public inquiry.