BRADFORD is losing out to other West Yorkshire authorities by being too slow to identify suitable land for housing, according to frustrated developers.

Members of Bradford Property Forum have expressed fears that delays in agreeing which parcels of land can be built on is deterring inward investment across the district.

The concerns were aired at a meeting of the Bradford Property Forum, run by West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Business people at the meeting agreed that the housing shortage is a "national crisis" and not just a local one.

However, they argued that in Bradford, delays in finding suitable housing land was damaging for the district.

A spokesman for the Chamber said it was taking up to five years for sites to become available for development.

"The land has to be identified and then a plan put together and then it has to be approved by government. By the time it has been identified and approved it can be three to five years before sites are available for development."

The meeting heard that Bradford's planners have identified the need for 42,000 more homes by 2030.

The Chamber says other West Yorkshire councils are granting applications for housing before a Local Plan - a blueprint for land use - has been agreed.

"Planners in Bradford are waiting for the Local Plan to be approved before letting applications be approved," said the Chamber spokesman.

"There is concern that other local authorities in West Yorkshire have now stolen a march on Bradford in approving schemes for development."

Andrew Mason, of Newmason Properties, a former chairman of Bradford Property Forum, said the crisis nationally was caused in part through a lack of leadership and skills shortages in construction.

Mr Mason said that responsibility for delivering more homes should be given to "those at the coal face" - including developers themselves.

Some suggested that direct incentives should be given to developers if the profit margin was too low.

Forum chairman Steve McManus said: "Pointing a finger of blame at this stage won’t help to cure the housing shortage.

"Incentives for developers, quicker allocation of land, and finding suitable staff to actually build the houses are all measures that will help in some way."

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for housing, urged developers to work with it to help redevelop brownfield sites, rather than trying to get permission in the Green Belt.

"Developers want us to release Green Belt land but we can't do that, the public would not support us. We need developers to develop brownfield sites particularly in the inner city," she said.

Clr Slater said the Council was "trying to take the Local Plan through the system as fast as we can".

Developers who focused their attention on Green Belt would face "lots of objections and challenges from the public," she added.