The £60 million revamp planned for the Ravenscliffe estate is the first instalment of the huge investment in Bradford's housing stock promised by the transfer from council ownership. What happens there will be watched very carefully by tenants elsewhere in the district.

There is no doubt that something drastic needs to be done about Ravenscliffe. It is an estate which has been neglected for years and has had more than its share of social problems. Its image, most unfortunately for the many decent people who live there, is a grim one symbolised by boarded-up homes, burned-out cars and vandalism.

It seems clear that its problems will not be solved merely by a makeover of what is already there. New windows and bathrooms are unlikely to be enough to engender the revived spirit that Ravenscliffe badly needs if it is to have a bright future.

The plan to demolish hundreds of homes and replace them with a mix of new ones, the majority for sale but with 200 to rent, is a bold attempt to effect this transformation. However, it is understandable that the existing residents are concerned. Some have put a lot of care and cash into maintaining and improving their homes. They have roots in the area yet are worried they may not be able to afford to return to it.

Today's announcement is the start of a big consultation exercise. The views of the Ravenscliffe people must be seen to be fully taken into account if confidence is to be created in stock transfer and the changes that will come with it.