AN INNOVATIVE partnership between Craven District Council and the people of Skipton's biggest estate has finally come to fruition.

The Greatwood and Horse Close Estate Agreement has been drawn up in a bid to offer tenants a greater say over the way their services are provided.

A special committee of tenant and community representatives will regularly get together with councillors and council officials to oversee issues such as housing and the local environment.

And three new jobs will be created on site, including an estate manager, caretaker and clerical officer, ensuring that support for housing problems as well as more practical matters are covered.

The new staff will be based at a new permanent office being set up at the local community centre on North Parade.

The manager will run the housing service while the caretaker will be responsible for minor repairs to houses and keeping the estate tidy.

The caretaker will also be expected to "pick up hypodermic needles on the estate."

At a meeting of Craven District Council's community services committee last Monday night the partnership was readily approved by members.

Chairman of the committee, Coun Beth Graham said: "The Estate Agreement is a major step in involving local people in the decisions which affect their daily lives.

"It is also the culmination of many months of hard work by community representatives and should benefit every tenant on the estate."

One of those hard-working community representatives is the chairman of the Greatwood and Horse Close Community Association, Frances Burrows.

Frances and her team at the community centre had initially worked on the possibility of forming a Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), which would manage its own affairs largely autonomously.

But after consultation the TMO was waived, after tenants who had worked hard to set up an infrastructure decided they would be better off retaining a link with the authority.

Frances said: "I am delighted at the decision of the council to enter into an Estate Agreement with the local community.

"Many residents have put in a lot of commitment into developing these proposals and the agreement will enable us to continue to work with the council and other agencies to improve services for local people."

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