Woodhouse and Spring Bank Community Centre could be knocked down and rebuilt as part of a housing association development.

The radical idea is one option being investigated by Bradford council as it tries to involve more residents in the life of their estate. A researcher is likely to spend the next six months looking at the needs of the 287 households in the area.

The community centre has been closed since June, following the folding of Woodhouse Community Association, which ran it. The council is keen to bring the centre back into use but believes such efforts must be part of an in-depth look at the estate's future.

Keighley Area Panel, made up of Keighley councillors, will next week be asked to employ a consultant to work with residents on an action plan. He or she would take into account issues that affect communities such as crime, education, employment, health and social exclusion.

The consultant would be guided by a steering group of residents, a ward councillor, and representatives from housing, social services, the youth service.

Voluntary groups, police, housing associations and the health authority would also be involved in proposals for improvements. Support could be offered by the Keighley's Single Regeneration Budget.

The consultant would look at the future development of the community centre and the adjacent site of the former Rovers Return pub.

A council report says a housing association is interested in building on the pub site.

It adds: "That interest could incorporate the site of the existing community centre. A community facility could be incorporated in the housing development."

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