THE residents who voted in favour of plans to transfer 10,000 Blackburn with Darwen council houses to a separate company took full advantage of the chance to have a say in their future.

Many of the town's estates are in a terrible condition and it has been obvious for years that the council has been fighting a losing battle to keep homes up to scratch.

A drive around most council estates is a depressing experience, despite good work at community level.

Empty houses with boarded up windows and doors, roof tops partially stripped of tiles and overgrown gardens tell their own story.

It is a situation that has been faced by local councils up and down the land and it is all about shortage of cash.

It is estimated the transfer will bring in more than £107million over five years and £23million over the next five years.

Loraine Campbell, chairman of Twin Valley Homes, which has been set up to revamp the crumbling estates, said the cash will be used to provide central heating, double glazing and insulation and improvements to kitchens and bathrooms.

The impressive turn out of 62 per cent showed that estate residents really cared about this issue.

They watched in dismay as properties deteriorated over the last few years.

Tory councillors who claimed this move should have been made at least five years ago have a point.

Millions of pounds have been spent by Blackburn with Darwen Council in a vain attempt to keep the estates in a condition approaching ship-shape.

If Twin Valley Homes lives up to its promises thousands of people can look forward to better lives in a pleasant environment.

It will be a tough task. But, on the face of it, residents have made the right decision.