TENANTS are being given a say in what happens to their housing by a local authority.

The deal has been struck by Chester-le-Street District Council, which has previously had a poor record on housing.

The Tenants Participation Compact, unveiled this week, will give tenants a role in improving the housing service, says Isabel Smith, the council's portfolio holder for housing and community services.

She said: "The launch of this compact is great news for Chester-le-Street tenants."

The council is the smallest district in County Durham, with a population of 54,000 and with 5,000 council homes - about 22 per cent of all homes in the district.

It was rated poor in the Audit Commission's comprehensive performance assessment and given no stars for its housing service last year.

The authority hired David Hucker, who tackled Birmingham's repairs backlog, with the aim of winning two stars when it is inspected in December next year.

The compact, which has taken a year to develop, is being distributed to the council's 5,300 tenants. It spells out roles and responsibilities of tenants, staff and councillors, and has a procedure for dealing with disputes.

Marianne Hood, who consulted on the document, said: "Participation, or the lack of it, at Chester-le-Street was criticised by the Audit Commission. Now, I believe we've produced something that takes participation for the whole housing movement into a new era."