TENANTS on Hargher Clough council estate, Burnley, are to be given more power in running their area.

Residents' representatives will get more control over management of housing services.

The estate is controlled by the residents who make up the West End estates management board (EMB), which also covers Stoops and Plane Tree.

Now the government and Burnley council are paying for an inquiry to look at how Hargher Clough residents can have more involvement within the EMB framework.

The move follows a meeting of EMB members, officials from the Department of the Environment, the council and a consultancy called the Priority Estates Project, whose brief is to come up with a plan to increase tenants' participation in Hargher Clough.

West End EMB was one of the first in the country when it was set up six years ago.

The chairman of the the EMB, Margaret Sumner, said: "Soon we are to hold a conference for the whole area. We are always keen to welcome more volunteers. A lot of our time and money is already spent on Hargher Clough, and we have vacancies on our board for Hargher Clough tenants."

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