Up to £10 million is to be spent on regeneration projects in Keighley over the next 12 months.

The cash includes £3.25 million from the government's Single Regeneration Budget, £4 million from the private sector and £3 million from public bodies such as Bradford Council.

The cash will be spent on a range of projects to support businesses and voluntary groups, fight crime and improve housing, education and the environment.

Keighley's SRB bosses hope the investment will create 222 jobs, set up 83 businesses and help almost 500 people gain qualifications.

Other targets include getting 375 people involved in voluntary work, improving 109 private houses and 520 council homes, and supporting 50-plus voluntary and community groups.

At least 15,000 extra visitors and tourists will be attracted to Keighley, 75 new child-care places created and ten parents from ethnic minorities trained to work in schools.

The targets are contained in the SRB delivery plan for the year 1999/2000 which has been submitted to the government's Regional Development Agency for approval.

The RDA, known as Yorkshire Forward, is expected to approve the spending of the £3.25 million SRB cash, part of Keighley's seven-year £18.7 million fund.

Keighley's SRB board this month approved four new projects, subject to funding becoming available later.

The Russell Street Project, which provides job training for young people, wants to spend £5,800 on expansion and improving its Information Technology capabilities.

Firms who applied for small grants were Click-On Computers (improving its new town-centre premises), Airedale Preservation Services, to bring derelict property back into use, and Fibreline, which is relocating to Keighley.

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