LOCAL government reorganisation could be the light at the end of the tunnel for Kingsmead residents.

The community has been offered the chance to take on the management of the estate but this has been put on hold until they are given more information.

Resident Ben Coker, of Registry Close, said taking over the management of the estate was not at all clear cut and that some parts of Kingsmead are not included in the maintenance contract.

He said: "If maintenance fees are £80 from each property there just isn't enough money - it's not commercially viable to maintain the area to the level it was being maintained by when people bought their houses from the developers.

"The Section 106 planning agreement prevents Vale Royal Borough Council from doing anything about it and the only light at the end of the tunnel is the demise of the borough council, which will throw the balls up in the air again."

Ben, a former Davenham parish councillor, urged residents to talk to people putting themselves forward as councillors for the new authority to get the issue on their agendas.

He added: "It needs to be made clear by Kingsmead residents that if councillors are going to be elected they need to be of value to Kingsmead."