A trouble-torn Bradford housing estate is in line for a £60 million revamp - and a new name.

Proposals have been unveiled to demolish some of the council homes on the Ravenscliffe estate to make way for 700 new houses of which 500 will be for sale and 200 for rent.

The area will be renamed Holywell Village and be redesigned, mixing old and new.

The new homes will be two or three bedroom properties aimed at attracting first-time and middle-market buyers.

It is the first major improvement scheme unveiled by the Bradford Community Housing Trust which formally takes over Bradford's 26,000 council homes on February 24.

The trust has pledged to invest more than £1.1 billion to bring every home up to modern standards and carry out a £175 million repair and improvement plan over the next five years.

Three private housing developers, Oakapple Homes, Haslam Homes and Lowry Homes, are involved in the Ravenscliffe plans. Residents on the estate have now been asked for their views in a major consultation exercise.

Today, David Ratcliffe, of Oakapple Homes, said: "We believe the residents deserve better and these proposals could help make it a tremendous place to live. Once people see the improvements they will want to live here."

But the plans, revealed to residents yesterday, sparked alarm among some tenants. They fear once their homes are bulldozed they will not be able to afford to move back and they do not trust the Council's pledge that they can stay in the area.

Ron Howell, treasurer of the Ravenscliffe Residents' Association, said: "There are too many coulds and shoulds. This is not a promise.

"They will promise people they can stay but it won't happen. We have seen this happen time and time again. I just do not trust this Council. These plans should not have been broken to us like this.

"We wanted our existing homes improved like they have kept promising us all along. Once they transferred the stock we were told it would all get better - new kitchens, new windows, double glazing.

"Now we are being told they want our land and we are having to go. They are just money raking. We have been told if we don't like the plans they won't go ahead, but let's see. They are just going to ride roughshod over everybody."

But Jez Lester, of Bradford Council's housing department, promised a home for everyone.

"I can give a cast-iron guarantee that anyone who wants to move back in can.

"I have spoken to the board of the North Bradford Community Housing Trust and can reassure anyone with doubts.

" We have to look at how we can move on and we asked the developers to come up with this set of proposals and now we have to put them to the public.

"No-one will have to leave and there does not have to be any demolition if the community doesn't want it."

Councillor Kris Hopkins, Bradford Council's executive member for the community, said: "We cannot stress too strongly how important it is for us to have comments from local residents on the plans being put forward by developers.

"This is only the start of a comprehensive consultation exercise on the future of the estate and I can reassure all residents that they will have a real say in how their estate is redeveloped."

Councillor Michael Attenborough (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said: "In the past promises have been made and not kept and this makes people very wary about the new plans.

"But the proposals are not firm plans and if sufficient people say no then they might come up with alternatives.

"No-one should be railroaded. But the aim is to give people decent housing and better facilities.

"This is just the start of the debate."