Keighley's efforts to improve its town centre have received acknowledgement in a major new report.

The Lockwood Survey reveals that towns with a centre management team are more successful than those without. It revealed that Keighley performs better than any other town studied, including cities like Nottingham and Bristol.

Keighley was particularly praised for improvements to the look of town-centre streets and efforts to stamp out graffiti, flyposting and empty shops.

Urban management expert John Lockwood investigated 20 towns and cities which have appointed town-centre managers in recent years.

Keighley has a manager employed by Bradford council - Sandra Parnham - and a committee bringing together trad-ers, council officials, police and transport officials.

Mr Lockwood interviewed a panel of local people representing shops, banks and hotels - including Boots manager Elaine Hand-Griffiths and menswear shop owner David Petyt - on their feelings about the town centre.

The survey showed that strong competition from out-of-town developments is forcing towns to use new methods to win back trade.

Mr Lockwood says councils and businesses must join forces to ensure customers have an enjoyable experience so they will want to return. His research showed the appointment of Town Centre Manag-ers has made a difference to the trading performance of stores in many towns.

Partnership work has led to cleaner streets, a better mix of shops, good advertising and Christmas programmes, and better access.

But Mr Lockwood warns that such efforts to make towns more competitive could be wiped out by government measures to reduce urban car usage. "Government will need to propose effective policies which will not drive more spending out of town," he says.

Barry Thorne, chairman of Keighley Town Centre Manage-ment Group, says the Lock-wood Survey shows the importance of local improvement efforts. "Just look at the town centre now, how much money is coming in from the private sector and regeneration funds," he points out. "Keigh-ley has its ups and downs - you can't ignore national trends - but generally it's a popular area to shop, accessible for the elderly and children."

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