Woodhouse and Spring Bank residents are to be quizzed on how community life on their estate could be revived.

Questionnaires will be sent to most of the 200-plus homes and some householders will be able to air their views in discussion groups. In-depth interviews will be carried out with young people living in the area to discover their needs.

The research by a team of consultants forms part of Bradford council's major effort to improve the quality of life on the estate. It hopes to reverse a rot that led to the closure of the estate's community centre and the disbanding of the community association.

Young people were criticised for rowdiness and harassment of centre staff, and other residents for their complaints and apathy.

Keighley Area Panel, Bradford council's local arm, is spearheading attempts to bring residents together with council departments and other key local agencies to work out an action plan. The partnership will begin its work in the New Year while the consultants carry out at least three months of research. The consultants' work is being jointly funded by the area panel, Keighley Crime Prevention Community Fund and Bradford council's youth service.

Lyn Taylor, the area panel's assistant coordinator, says consultants' involvement with local people is not only designed to discover their needs. "Hopefully it will inspire interest and commitment in people who live in the area," she hopes.

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