A recent draft strategy for the future of regeneration in Keighley was rightly described by representatives on the area panel as the worst they had ever seen.

What impact those headlines had on those involved in the preparation of that report is not known. But after a meeting in Keighley this week it is quite clear dynamic and positive changes are afoot.

More than 60 people gathered at Keighley College in the first of a series of seminars aimed at moving the vision for Keighley forward.

It was agreed that the vision needs expanding and a strategy drawn up to form a plan to keep the regeneration efforts going well into the future.

The most significant comment came from Sharmila Gandhi, chief executive of Bradford Vision (a group which has not always been flavour of the month with this newspaper), who acknowledged that Keighley is a key and integral part of the district. The town, she says, has set some excellent examples of good practice and often takes the lead with pioneering schemes.

To some such a comment may not sound much, others will view the comments with suspicion, but those who are involved in moving the vision forward have detected a change in attitude towards Keighley.

There is growing acceptance that Keighley and other surrounding towns such as Bingley and Shipley have their own identities, and it is those individual characteristics which contribute to the diverse make-up of the district. There is nothing wrong with tribalism, but to move forward it is vital to work together on equal terms for the benefit of all.

Mrs Gandhi describes Keighley as a beautiful place. It is. At this stage the greatest contribution residents can make is to talk up the positive side of the area and shatter long-standing myths about life in the town.

People should get involved in the vision at every opportunity. As those behind the forward strategy say, they really want to hear the voice of Keighley. They have already started to listen. So let's put the key in Keighley.