The boss of a company which lost a high Court battle to buy one of the city's best development sites today pledged he still believed in Bradford and was here to stay.

Managing director of Asquith Properties Russell Baker said they still hoped to buy the land in Manor Row and would continue with the rest of their multi-million-pound development programme meanwhile.

Asquith Properties has already invested £20 million creating top class apartments in the city and has now begun work on its £22 million state-of-the-art Tower Haus complex in Leeds Road.

But it has been unable to start on its planned £30 million Landmarq building in Manor Row because of the court ruling.

As reported in the Telegraph & Argus earlier this month, the project was blocked after Asquith lost a court bid to force the land's owners to stick to an agreement to sell.

Today, Mr Baker renewed his pledge to carry on with other development plans in Bradford as excavations began on land at the former Shipley Paints company site in Leeds Road for another Asquith project.

The £22 million Tower Haus development will contain 133 apartments and penthouses costing up to £250,000 in a futuristic building topped by a glass tower.

The company has already redeveloped historic Broadgate House in Manor Row into 92 apartments. It has also built the £10 million, 67 apartments Stonegate House nearby.

But the court decision on the Landmarq site came as a blow to the company which had already obtained outline planning consent for the scheme.

It had been waiting for full planning permission when the site's owners, Castlebay, pulled out of an agreement to sell it for £1 million.

Castlebay argued that Asquith had missed an agreed date of December 2004 for the deal to be completed.

High Court judges rejected Asquith's appeal against an earlier ruling that the scheme had gone beyond the stage where the deadline for the option to buy agreement could be extended.

Mr Baker said today he still hoped to buy the site and build the scheme which would contain 200 apartments, offices and a restaurant.

"We are speaking to the owners and they have said we would be the preferred purchasers," he added.

Mark Brearley, agent for Castlebay, confirmed they were in talks with Asquith.

The Shipley Paints site stands on a main gateway to the city which will lead to the new £300 million Broadway shopping centre scheduled for completion in 2008.

Mr Baker said: "We are here because we believe in Bradford. It is the place we want to be."

He said they had been "blown out" with calls about both the Tower Haus and another £10 million housing development they were currently building in Queensbury.

The first apartments in the Tower Haus are expected to be ready in Spring 2007 with the development completed the following July.