A GROUP of tenants from a troubled Blackburn estate are to be given a first-hand view of how a town hall is trying to solve its housing problems.

Tenants from the Roman Road estate are travelling to Ashton-under-Lyne, to take a closer look at the work of Tameside Council. The council are considering the controversial move of handing over a crime-plagued Tameside estate to a non-profit making company.

And people on Roman Road estate are currently holding talks with Blackburn with Darwen Council over the future of their estate. Housing bosses have looked at several ways of cutting crime and vandalism on Roman Road, as well as encouraging more people to move on to the estate.

Private developers have been asked to put in bids for a refurbishment plan for the run-down Blackburn estate. Tenants in Ashton will have the final say over the transfer of their homes in a vote early in the New Year. A spokesman for the Ashton residents involved in setting up the new housing company said: "We are more than happy to speak to residents from every part of the country about the process we have gone through and the negotiations we are taking part in.

"We believe we have got a great deal for local people and we want to tell other residents groups about it."

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council's housing department said: "This is a fact-finding trip for residents groups across the borough who will be looking at a range of ways of improving estates.

Peter Eccles, the chairman of Roman Road's Community Association, said: "There are a lot of ideas floating around at the moment and no final decision has been taken on the future of Roman Road.

A public meeting will take place next Monday at Roman Road Community Centre to discuss the estate's future.

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