COUNCIL tenants are in line for even better services by 2005, a leading councillor has promised.

Kirklees Council and the board that manages its 26,000 council houses have set their sights on achieving a top three-star rating from the Audit Commission in that year.

The council's building services section, design and property service and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing will seek to build on the Beacon Status achieved for repairs and maintenance of council houses.

They later received a two- star rating after an Audit Commission inspection.

The pledge to strive for further improvements has come from Clr Andrew Cooper, the council's Cabinet member for housing.

"Achieving Beacon Status for the repairs and maintenance function, followed by the two-star rating, demonstrates the steady progress and commitment to providing the highest standards of service.

"We want to get even better."

He added: "The works carried out by the building services section are general maintenance and repairs of council houses, schools and public buildings.

"They are in addition to the £145m being invested in the coming years on major refurbishments."

Some £17.2m a year is invested in repairs and maintenance, £3m-plus goes on servicing and repairs to gas appliances and £2.5m on repairs and maintenance to electrical and mechanical installations.