CITY centre residents are being asked to decide how to spend £70,000 to improve their area.

York Regeneration Partnership - the group set up to redevelop the former ABB site on Holgate Road wants people to vote on which community projects to spend the cash on.

And they want to hear from anyone who has any other bright ideas for brightening up the community.

Householders in Acomb, Beckfield, Bishophill, Holgate and Westfield and former employees of ABB and their families will be asked to vote on projects already submitted to the Partnership or come up schemes of their own.

Ian Hall, programme manager for the Partnership, said: "Requests for financial support have been received from various sources, but if anybody has been quietly forging an idea which would benefit the community, this meeting is the time to mention it.

"As long as it aids the residents of one or more of the five wards it will be considered."

The Partnership - made up of representatives from City of York Council, English Partnerships, Home Housing Association, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council has pledged £26 million to re-develop the carriageworks.

So far more than £135,000 has already been paid out to existing community projects including support for Carr Youth Centre, Viking Park and Hamilton Panthers.

Residents will get the chance to have their say at a meeting on Wednesday May 13, at 7pm in Carr Junior School, Otsman Road, Acomb. Creche facilities will be provided.

The meeting will also feature an update on the progress of the Partnership's activities and information on the likelihood of using the old canteen as a community facility.

Anyone who needs help to get to the meeting should contact Ian Hall on 01904 786392 during office hours.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.