TENANTS have chosen their representatives who will help lead Bury's council housing into a new future.

Seven people have been elected to sit on the board of Six Town Housing, the Arm's Length Management Organisation (ALMO) that could take over the management of the homes in the autumn.

In Bury East, Terry Spencer and Frank Fenton were elected while the two seats in Radcliffe were taken by Dave Mann and Philip Weatherby. Brenda Headley was chosen to represent the Bury West, Ramsbottom and Tottington area. Andrew McGiffin in Prestwich and Gordon Smith in Whitefield and Unsworth were elected unopposed.

These seven will make up the board along with five council nominees and five independent people with specialist skills. Some 21 people have applied to become independent members, and will shortly be chosen by a panel comprised of the tenant and council groups on the board.

Under an ALMO, the council will continue to own its 8,936 homes, but Six Town Housing will manage them. Unlike the council, it is able to raise extra funding from the Government.

Bury's bid for around £26.5 million extra cash was delivered to the Government in December and the result will be known in the next few weeks.