Civic and business leaders from Bradford will outline ways in which the city can rival its best European counterparts to a Government minister next week.

Local government minister David Milliband will visit Leeds next week as part of a nationwide tour of eight "core" cities.

Although Bradford is not on the list, Mr Milliband will hear the views of other areas of West Yorkshire next Tuesday.

Prior to the tour he issued a blunt challenge to British cities to raise their game to compete with the economic growth of vibrant cities like Turin, Frankfurt and Rotterdam.

Bradford Chamber of Commerce president Richard Wightman echoed the importance of the growth strategy.

"We would welcome fresh incentives and support that can boost economic growth in Bradford," he said.

"Growth in Bradford city centre - and throughout the district - will pick up in the next few years, through the work of Bradford Centre Regeneration and the support of Yorkshire Forward.

"However, as we improve, so will others, at home and abroad, so we need to do so at a faster rate."

The Chamber strategy for improvement involves enhancing the city's image and profile through better education, more support for business start-ups and reducing crime and disorder.

It said industrial change needed to be managed by supporting manufacturing, improving planning procedures and producing better quality employment sites.

And its recipe for making the city more inviting was to improve transport infrastructure and maximising Bradford's tourist and cultural opportunities.

Councillor Simon Cooke, Bradford Council's member for regeneration, said the city needed "a comprehensive approach".

He called on the Government to provide extra cash to improve the city's "public realm" areas and a relaxation in planning and highway rules.

"Cities are the core drivers of the economy and under performance of city centres like Bradford has a damaging impact on a far wider area than is often thought to be the case," said Coun Cooke.

"We need significant support for city centres but there are also other significant places like Shipley and Keighley.

"Some British cities don't have the style and panache that you see in some European cities which are fantastic.

"We've tended to focus almost exclusively on the hard economic stuff.

"But the message we want to put out is that the aesthetics of cities are very important. We're up for making Bradford a more pleasant place."

e-mail: tim.wyatt

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk