Bradford Council house rent arrears have dropped by nearly £250,000 in the past year - but the authority is still owed £1.7 million.

Bradford South - including Canterbury, Holme Wood and Laisterdyke - is the black spot, with a £425,000 debt.

But Bradford West, including Allerton and Scholemore, is the best of the five area housing offices based on parliamentary constituencies, with people owing £200,000.

The new total is in a report on the district's housing services for the past year. It follows an Audit Commission report released last week for 1996-7.

Today chairman of the housing and environment committee Councillor Barry Midwood said he was pleased with the reduction.

He said the Council had started a 48-week rent system where people paid more rent each week, but had free weeks at summer and Christmas.

He said they were also looking at other measures including a review of the management of debts left by former tenants to achieve improvements.

County Court action is also planned in cases where no inroads are made in debts.

Members will be told 220 formal complaints were made against the Council in the past year - slightly more than 55 per cent of them were over repairs. In the previous 12 months there were 206 formal complaints of which 58 per cent were over repairs.

Coun Midwood said the authority now had dedicated repair teams which were having a dramatic effect.

Other measures being planned include an authority-wide complaints procedure and the development of a new database for more detailed analysis.

The report says housing staff have got top marks for being friendly and helpful by people who used the lettings and repairs service.

But the report was criticised today by the Council's Tory group leader Councillor Margaret Eaton who called for frequent reports which members could monitor. "It shows the housing department is still struggling to provide an adequate level of service."

But Coun Midwood said the report showed the Council was in an "improving situation" and that significant progress was being made.

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