Bradford's greenfield sites could be used to ease the growing housing crisis, a minister has warned.

Regional minister for Yorkshire and the Humber Caroline Flint said local authorities must accept the need for more housing to be built to allow people to buy their own properties.

She said council leaders could not hide away from the fact there are a number of people struggling to find homes, more social housing was needed or that house prices in parts of the region had gone up enormously.

Miss Flint told the Telegraph & Argus: "We may have to make better use of brownfield sites, spaces above or empty shops or businesses."

And she warned in relation to greenfield builds: "Some of that has to be considered. I think if it was possible we would like to be able to avoid that but I think the fact in some cases it might need to be considered."

Miss Flint said there were families that needed homes, young people who wanted to buy a house near where they grew up but cannot so action needed to be taken. She added: "If there are certain things we can avoid in terms of building on the Green Belt, of course you want to work through some of those other options.

"But ultimately we have got families to house. We have got young people who want to own their own home. We have got people who want to have housing that is more suitable for their older years. We have more people with caring responsibilities than ever before. And we need the right sort of housing for that."

She said she understood fears of town hall chiefs, including Bradford bosses who have to find space for about 55,000 homes by 2026 as part of the Regional Spatial strategy - setting their target at about 2,700 every year from 2006.

Only 4,000 properties have been completed so far.

But she said: "We need to agree there is a problem and accept it. What we do not want is people leaving the region to go where there is housing.

"Housing across the UK has clearly risen up the agenda as a matter of concern. What used to be seen as a south-east problem is no longer the case."

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