SIR – Recently Sheffield put in a bid to become the City of Culture, but lost out to Londonderry in Ireland.

It would seem the North and Yorkshire seem to get by-passed by those who make the decision on who should or could win the bid to be the City of Culture.

A few years ago, Bradford applied for City of Culture status and failed. Why is this? Bad planning, lack of proper investment in new shops and small businesses and new manufacturing jobs so everything within reason can be sourced locally.

Bradford cannot afford to lose completely its textile and engineering businesses that once made it a world leader in industry and commerce.

There are a lot of new warehouses and old and refurbished ones standing idle which could create new jobs and cut the unemployment queues.

In the next three months, Hebden Bridge will be celebrating its 500th year being a textile and manufacturing town and it has also reinvented itself, helping it to keep up with modern times like Halifax and Huddersfield and the Kirklees and Calderdale areas.

Bradford Council could learn a few lessons from those places. Let’s put Bradford back on the map and show how good it is.

Martin Palliser, Waincliffe House, Laisterdyke