A pioneering housing scheme, in which people sign up to be good neighbours, is expanding after being hailed a huge success.

Manningham Housing Association will implement the new Mutual Aid system at a £1.8 million housing complex due to be built in Aireworth Road, Keighley. The 24 houses are expected to be completed later this year.

The original scheme in Byron Street, Bradford, was the first of its type in Britain when 22 tenants moved in with the aim of building up a good community by helping each other.

Director of Manningham Housing Association Anil Singh said references for the Keighley scheme would be obtained from applicants' former neighbours who would be told how helpful they were.

Like the Byron Street tenants they will be asked to sign a contract agreeing to help their neighbours with practical support such as babysitting, gardening, DIY or shopping.

Mr Singh said: "The tenants will agree to respect peoples' different cultures and lifestyles and make their estate a place where there is respect for open spaces which are safe and pleasant for the groups which use them.

"The tenants will sign up to create an estate where people's properties will be respected and crime affecting people and property kept to a minimum."

He revealed that nine months after the families moved into Byron Street, they were still just as happy and optimistic.

He said they knew from the Byron Street project that it was what the tenants wanted.

"We want to build on this and extend it," he added.

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