Protesters today urged people to take advantage of "breathing space" and join a battle to stop the demolition of Provincial House and its replacement with a modern building containing bars, restaurants and an arts centre.

Bradford Arts Forum members attended a Bradford area planning panel meeting yesterday which deferred an application for the development from St James Securities.

But member John Dickson said after the meeting he hoped people would use the time to look at the application and its suitability for the city centre.

The company has submitted an amended plan for a higher building containing an arts facility following the refusal by the panel in April of an application because of its scale and appearance.

The new application will be decided before the end of the year and a public inquiry meant to be held this month into the refusal has been put on hold.

But the arts forum now plans to tell the resumed panel that:

l a more substantial building is needed for the prime site opposite City Hall and they do not believe the materials are different from the original application

l they believe the design is minimally altered from the original submission to provide an arts facility.

The Forum says in a letter to city centre planning officer Douglas Brook: "In our view it is inappropriate for the function of the new building to be almost exclusively devoted to caf bar and restaurant outlets.

"The contribution that the proposed building would make to any regeneration of the city centre of Bradford is minimal - just a few jobs at the level of minimal wage or thereabouts.

"Further, given the number of caf bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood, we believe the proposal contributes to the unbalanced nature of the provision of the facilities in the area."

Ian Barraclough, director of St James Securities, had no comment on the letter and objections.

But officers will tell members that the proposed building has a presence, even though it lacks the bulk originally hoped for by the council.

They say by not competing with or mimicking City Hall, its contrasting design makes a "distinctive new element and bold statement". They will describe it as a far greater asset to the city than the existing building.