Tenants on a Bradford estate are celebrating a multi-thousand pound boost to make their streets better and safer.

People power won the day on the Sutton estate at Tyersal after residents took their fears about poor street lighting and road dangers to the Trust which owns their homes.

Now the estate will get a £312,000 road improvement scheme thanks to a unique partnership between Bradford Council and a housing association.

The William Sutton Trust has agreed to contribute £250,000 towards installing traffic-calming measures, upgrading street lighting, improving parking as well as upgrading roads and footpaths on the estate.

Next Thursday, the Council's highways sub-committee will be asked to back the project and contribute £62,000 towards the cost of the work which would be done in five phases beginning this year.

Street lighting in Darren Street and Sutton Road would be upgraded in the first phase, extending to Dudley Street and Carden Road in phases two and three.

During the last two phases Darren Street, Sutton Road, Dudley Street and Carden Street would have traffic humps installed as well as parking improvements.

Other roads to be upgraded as part of the project are Kyffin Place, Levita Place and Sutton Crescent. A car park will also be provided in Kyffin Place.

Today, manager of Sutton community centre, Lynn Wall, who is also a member of Sutton Community Association, said the tenants would be delighted about the scheme.

She said: "It came from the concern of the residents. It means the quality of life on the estate will be greatly improved."

She added that people were frightened and worried by the poor street lighting and the roads were dangerous because they were used by people to cut through the estate.

Chairman of the Council highways sub-committee Councillor Phil Thornton said: "The reality is that we have a very tight budget for these types of improvements and, due to the low accident rate in this area, it would be some time before we would have been able to carry out this work if the Trust had not stepped in.

"This is a perfect example of what we can achieve when the Council works in close partnership with other agencies to benefit the people of Bradford and we are very grateful to the Trust for their support."

The estate is made up of 620 houses built by the Trust in the 1930s and 1970s. The Trust, which still manages the estate, was set up in the 1900s to provide homes at an affordable rent.

Trust Housing director Roy Thirlwell said: "The contribution we are making will improve the Sutton estate and will help to create a safer environment, not just for the people on the estate, but also those living nearby."

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