REDDITCH residents have the chance to hold the reins in plans to transform their housing estates.

And residents of Woodrow - the first area to be tackled in Redditch Council's Estate Enhancement Scheme - will lead the way.

They will have the chance to view plans and offer ideas for the project, which hopes to see the improvement of the area as a whole and its individual gardens.

Council Leader David Cartwright said the scheme provided an ideal springboard for future plans to transfer powers from council officers to residents.

He said: "Woodrow will be the model for developments on other housing estates across the town."

A number of estates, including Lodge Park and Greenlands, are to undergo a similar revamp, but Woodrow will be the first area to benefit from the council-funded project.

In January Mr Cartwright told the Advertiser of the council's plan to form a Tenant Management Organisation to give residents the chance to manage issues such as rents, repairs and recycling.

He said the project would be modelled on the Co-op's Tenant's First Scheme, which is the largest wholly tenant-controlled co-operative in Britain.

He said: "We're hoping to progress towards greater resident participation in general, so the Estate Enhancement Scheme is an important step for Redditch."

But he said: "For this to work successfully we need residents to be completely involved and willing to participate."