They may have once been known by the grim nickname of ‘death row’ but residents at the transformed Roundhill Place development in Goitside are convinced they have nothing but a bright future.

A regeneration scheme saw 36 flats in a run-down part of Bradford halved in number but reconstructed as family homes as part of a wider plan for the area.

Families moved into their new homes last summer and have praised both the design of their homes and the work being done to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood.

Abdul Wouded Kahleghi, 50, was among the first residents to move in, with his wife Assia, 30 and children Shabnam, 12 and twins Mina and Milaad, five.

He said: “It has been really great living here and we have nice neighbours.

“These flats were ugly before they were renovated, but they were clever in the way they have made space inside and we have no plans to move from here.”

His neighbour Mrs Zaka Khalil added: “The houses are very nice inside. There are seven of us in a three bedroomed house, so even though it is a bit small overall, the rooms are all really big.

“They have also made the houses stand out, the way they have been designed and painted,” she said.

She is hoping for a small park when new-build homes planned for a nearby site go up, to provide more space for children to play safely.

“This is more spacious than our last property, which was also three bedroomed and we are very satisfied living here.

“The area is going to improve and it already is much better than it was before. I think because there are families living here it is safer than it was before,” she said.

The area is the focus of attention from Incommunities, Bradford Council and the Homes and Communities Agency as part of a wider transformation of the Chain Street area. The new three-bedroom properties in a £1.26m regeneration scheme were quickly filled by tenants through social housing provider Incommunities.

Back in July when a golden key was handed to one of the first tenants, Mohammed Abdul-Quddues, he described his relief after living with relatives for months following redundancy and having to move out of a rented house because of the bedroom tax.

Mr Abdul-Quddues, who moved into the house with his wife and two children, told the T&A at the time: “We’re glad to be here. I feel as though I’ve come home. I grew up just around the corner in West Grove Street. It’s got happy memories and there’s going to be lots more.”

Another tenant Tanveer Hussain and his family had been trying to get a house of their own to rent for six years, while living in a room at his parents’ house.

He said at the time: “This is a dream come true. The children’s school is close, I’ve got a driveway and a garden at the front and back. I feel incredibly lucky to be here.”

The next phase of the Goitside regeneration scheme, to build 32 new houses where outdated blocks of flats once stood, began earlier this month.

Ten of the properties will be sold, a further 12 will be privately rented and the remaining ten will be social housing and let out through Incommunities.