Local people are being urged to snap up empty council houses in Braithwaite following an upturn in the estate's reputation. Waiting lists are short, and in some cases non-existent, even though £1.3 million has been spent improving the houses over the past two years.

Action has also been taken by Bradford council, the police and community groups to stamp out trouble caused by nuisance neighbours and row-dy youngsters. Councillors will soon launch a marketing campaign to say the waiting lists for Keighley estates are not as long as people think.

In Braithwaite a successful applicant might expect to wait just 12 weeks to move into a two or three-bedroom house. One-bedroom accommodation is readily available, but there are longer waiting lists for houses with four bedrooms or more.

Housing chairman Cllr Steve Thomas says people are beginning to see a difference locally thanks to recent refurbishment. He says: "Braithwaite and Guard House isn't a bad place to live. It doesn't look like a ghost town - it looks like a vibrant community."

Anyone interested in becoming a council tenant in Braithwaite should contact the housing office on Broster Avenue, or phone 01535 618177.

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