A leading councillor has rapped the knuckles of the new Regional Development Agency for not promoting Bradford.

Councillor Dave Green, chairman of Bradford Council's regeneration committee, hit out at the RDA which today launched its State of the Region report.

It highlights a number of areas which are doing well such as the Humber ports, new industries in York, Sheffield, Leeds and the Dearne Valley near Rotherham.

But Bradford only gets a mention once under a section on deprivation in the document's two-page Executive Summary which highlights the achievements of other areas.

There is no mention of Bradford's highly profitable and nationally recognised electronics businesses, such as Pace Micro Technology and Filtronic Comtek.

And the city's pioneering efforts with call centre training and providing call centre jobs are also missed out.

Councillor Green said: "I think it is disappointing that some of the opportunities in Bradford have not been highlighted such as call centre development in which we are regarded as one of the national leaders."

The issue will be debated at today's Business Development Committee of Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

But businessman David Scougall, who has drawn up a strategy document for the regeneration of Little Germany, said: "The problem with Bradford is that the people with influence from the city do not talk to others in the region enough. The lack of co-ordination in Bradford also needs improving."

The report was carried out for the RDA by the Leeds Metropolitan University and will be used for the basis of the Agency's action plan over the next ten years.

The RDA chairman Graham Hall, said at the launch of the document in the Dearne Valley near Rotherham today: "Our aim must be to strengthen indigenous business development, build new growth industries, develop higher value-added high technology businesses, increase educational attainment and extend sustainability."

One of the report's authors, Professor John Shutt, defended the document. He said: "This report is trying to set the tone for the region and is a consultation document. There has not been any consultation so far - that is what the document is there to stimulate.

"Bradford has a lot of problems that need to be tackled and the RDA will consult with every local authority and TEC in the region to see what they have to say."

David Wilkinson, chief executive of Bradford & District Training & Enterprise Council, said: "The RDA has a responsibility for the whole region including Bradford in its search for new jobs in the region. We hope for an effective match between our growing population and the new jobs the RDA intends to stimulate."

Carole King, policy executive for Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said the document showed a lot of the region's strengths were in West Yorkshire so Leeds and Bradford could come out well.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.