SIR – I have written several times concerning the issues of developing green field (not green belt) and brownfield land, which set out the very problems raised concerning the failure of a bid for inner city land off Ripley Street (T&A, December 2).

On the same page is an article about the contentious site at Bingley where there is no lack of interest from builders (which, incidentally, I do not support).

The reasons are simple – the first site is not attractive economically or for would-be home owners, while the opposite is true of the second.

If inner city land is to be developed, builders need to be incentivised in a similar way to which the Council are doing with businesses.

The Council do the reverse, ie imposing often unnecessary affordable housing quotas, education contributions, open space contributions etc. Not only that but often the sites have problems with contamination, old mine shafts etc.

All of these contributions should be removed from any site for say three years within a mile of the city centre and other financial inducements made to enable them to be developed. At the same time contributions on the green field sites could be increased.

That way a better balance can be struck and hopefully inner city sites rendered more viable.

Philip M Coote, Rooley Crescent, Bradford