A MULTI-million pound deal which could lead to the head of Ilkley's

former council homes having to give up his own flat has been agreed.

The company which has taken over Bradford's 27,000 former council homes - including 800 in Ilkey -will be allowed to renege on a promise to share any profits made from selling off its assets in certain circumstances.

The Bradford Community Housing Trust (BCHT) wants to sell off land to private developers to create funds for more social houses on the same plots of land.

The plan would lead to a mix of private and public housing on some sites and is intended to replace homes lost under the 'Right to Buy' rules.

Before any deals can be done, BCHT had asked Bradford Council to waive its right to claw back money raised by selling off its former assets. The clause was included in the £70 million deal signed when the council houses were handed over in 2003.

It was put in to prevent the private company making a financial killing on the deal.

Because the intention is to provide modern social housing on the chosen sites, Bradford Council's executive had agreed to waive the claw back agreement in some cases.

But concerned councillors had called in the plan for extra scrutiny because it involved more than £500,000 worth of former assets in the first instance and millions in future deals.

Last week the council's regeneration and economy improvement committee agreed to let the first deal go ahead.

Members said they wanted to be informed of any future deals which might be completed in the same way. The first site to be developed is Woodend in Shipley, but others are on the cards.

One of the sites to be considered in the future is Dale Court in Ben Rhydding, the home of Parish Councillor Gerald Goldsbrough, who is the chairman of the Aire-Wharfe Community Housing Trust, one of six subsidiaries to BCHT.

The Aire-Wharfe Trust is responsible for all the former council homes in Keighley and Ilkley.

Dale Court, a 30-flat complex, is seen as hard to let because of shared facilities. BCHT plans to demolish it and replace it with a mix of social and private housing in three or four

years.

A planning application for a similar scheme at The Lawn, Burley-in-Wharfedale has been submitted and there is a proposal for another at Menston Hall, Menston.

Ilkley District Councillor Martin Smith is the chairman of BCHT. He said he was pleased that the plan had been agreed by members of the regeneration and economy improvement committee.

He said: "I am very pleased we can develop Woodend in Shipley. The need for the provision of social housing is there and it is all to the benefit of the residents of Bradford."

He said that BCHT had to come up with a viable business plan otherwise the officers and the executive would have blocked it.

"We need to provide developers' funding to fund our social housing. The council has realised that if that is the best way for us to deliver social housing in Bradford, that is the way we need to do it."

Coun Goldsbrough told the Gazette that he was confident

that any future deal to redevelop Dale Court would be done with

the knowledge, support and in

the best interests of the

tenants.