Regeneration schemes across the district will be hit as Bradford Council struggles with its housing cash crisis.

The chairman of the housing and environmental protection committee, Councillor Barry Midwood, confirmed today that schemes would be affected "significantly".

He said officers were in talks about the problems but firm proposals had not yet been drawn up.

The Council had to reschedule £11 million of regeneration work last year because of cuts in Government funding. But Coun Midwood said the impact would not be as big this time.

The housing spokesman for the Council's Tory Group, Councillor Simon Cooke, said: "If we keep on putting back we may reach the end of the programmes with work still uncompleted."

The regeneration schemes - including Allerton and the Royds - are part-funded by the Government but the Council and other partners also contribute.

This year the Council should carry out a total of £15m of work towards the schemes - but its grant from the Department of Environment and Transport only totals £3.9m.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the committee decided to implement a 72p-a-week rent rise, in line with Government guidelines. The effect of the guidelines was to cap rent levels by removing subsidies from local authorities.

Labour and Tory members of the committee agreed a resolution to support a bid by the Local Government Association to get the Government to end the capping system.

If the Council had been able to increase its rents by £1 it would have been able to bring millions of pounds more into the coffers.

The housing budget has also been hit with legal action being taken by hundred of tenants over repairs. The Council expects to lose £1m from its account by March to pay for this.

Local authorities across the country are being hit by the problems and say solicitors encourage tenants to take action using housing legislation originally aimed at private landlords.

Audrey Raistrick, of Ravenscliffe and Greengates Residents Association, said residents would need full consultation on schemes which were to be shelved.

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