Residents in three Aire Valley villages have put their heads together to come up with a vision for the future of their communities.

The Neighbourhood action plans (NAPs) for Cottingley, Denholme and Windhill look at the problems faced by each village and come up with a series of solutions to improve the areas.

From tackling anti-social behaviour and litter problems, to creating community gardens and features to enhance the villages, the residents and Bradford Council have been working together to produce the plans, funded through Neighbourhood Renewal Funding.

Denholme town mayor Anne Jay said the planning process had already had a positive effect on the village. She said: "Denholme is unique and is fast becoming a commuter village. This has put the 'community' back into the community."

Money from the initial £5,000 has been given to an elderly group for a reminiscence project and to youngsters for a video survey. And the two groups had got together to show each other the results, which has created a culture of respect between them. Mrs Jay said environmental projects had begun, including planting bulbs and shrubs to improve the entrance to the village.

Councillor Simon Cooke, executive member for regeneration, said the plans complement the wider vision for the Aire Valley and were about bringing closer interaction between service providers and their users. He said: "There is now a feeling that some of the problems and concerns that have been in these communities for many years are beginning to be addressed."

Initiatives suggested through the plans will be fed into the area action plan and the district-wide community.

The action plans follow a pilot in Frizinghall last year and the Council aims to have plans in place for every community in the district.

Now the neighbourhood action plans have been completed, a further £20,000 has been made available to support their implementation.

The plans will be presented to Shipley Area Committee on Wednesday at Wilsden Village Hall, Townfield, Wilsden from 7pm.