A long-awaited city centre development appears to have stalled again, despite an announcement earlier this year that work had started.

In February it looked like the £45 million Citygate scheme in Manchester Road had finally got under way after years of delays, when York-based developer Skelwith Group announced that work had begun on the first building, a block of 75 apartments.

But since that announcement, it appears little if any progress has been made on the brownfield site, where hundreds of homes are planned.

A spokesman for Skelwith said they remained committed to the scheme, but had encountered problems with utilities crossing the site, which had delayed the building work.

He said: “Understandably there is a lot of interest in what is happening at our Citygate scheme, as it is a key location on an important route into the city.

“Preliminary works have been carried out, but we are disappointed not to have being able to start fully on-site. This is because of utilities that cross the site.”

He said they were liaising with BT to resolve the issue “as quickly as possible”, and were also having to apply for a road closure notice from Bradford Council.

The Council’s executive member for housing and planning, Councillor Val Slater, said: “It’s disappointing when developments don’t take place.

“I think it’s one of the issues we have – land is bought, planning permission is given, then nothing happens for ages and ages.”

Coun Slater said while she had not had any direct contact with the developer, she had noticed the lack of progress at the site.

Development of the site, formerly the Reyner House parade of 1960s shops and flats, has been beset with delays.

The regeneration project was originally announced in 2005 when Bradford Trident held a competition to find a developer but the winner of the competition, Asquith Properties, went into administration in 2008.

Skelwith stepped in two years later. Its first block is planned to form part of a development of more than 500 flats.