AS A city that has played a huge part in the country’s industrial history, it’s not surprising that Bradford has been left with plenty of unused sites as economic trends have changed.

Many of these derelict plots have lain dormant for far too long and have contributed to the feeling of urban decay in some parts of Bradford and Keighley. In that light, we would wholeheartedly support anything that might encourage developers to tackle so-called brownfield sites.

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A prohibitive factor often cited by developers is that it’s too expensive to clean up pre-used sites. So it’s clear that strategies are needed to make brownfield sites just as attractive as greenfield ones for developers.

The zero levy on developers building on inner-city plots, set against a large levy for those wanting to build in more leafy outlying parts of the district, seems to be a step in the right direction. Indeed, such a policy could have the dual benefit of incentivising urban regeneration while dissuading developers from gobbling up shovel-ready green spaces.

From the countless planning applications reported in the Telegraph & Argus in recent years, it’s clear that the countryside and our towns and villages are coming under growing pressure for housing development - all at a time when many brownfield sites remain untouched.

Let’s hope the new levies will go some way towards equalising the perceived benefits of developing brownfield or greenfield sites.

Or perhaps the cash could even be used to prepare brownfield sites for developers to take them on. Now there’s a real “win, win.”