Voters will decide if thousands of households in Oxford will link up with a famous New York suburb in the first twinning project of its kind in the world.

A referendum of 13,500 people living in Blackbird Leys on a decision to twin with 2.5 million residents in Brooklyn will be held next month.

The vote is a reversal of the decision by the parish council two weeks ago to suspend twinning plans until Oxford City Council pledged to prosecute fly-tippers.

The parish council hopes a 'yes' vote will see the estate link with the borough as an expression of friendship and to share tactics on crime, litter and quality of life. It is thought the link would be a world first.

Voting slips will be distributed inside the free Leys News paper and delivered to every home in Blackbird Leys from Friday, February 3. The count is expected to take place four weeks later.

Parish council vice chairman Bob Avery proposed the twinning project after visiting Brooklyn cleansing teams and studying the suburb's successful zero-tolerance policy on litter, while he was on holiday in New York last year.

He said: "I have only had positive responses so far, but there are a couple of people who said it should go out to public consultation.

"It would raise the profile of the Blackbird Leys estate for good in a totally positive way.

"It's about problems which Brooklyn faced and Blackbird Leys almost certainly faces, and how they moved forward to make their borough a safe, clean and better place."

A letter has been written to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg asking for permission to twin with Brooklyn.

The referendum question will read: Do you agree with the parish council's wish to move forward and twin with the borough of Brooklyn in New York City?

Voters must tick Yes or No, cut the form out and drop it in a ballot box at either Blackbird Leys Library, the Community Centre, Leys Linx Centre or Oxford City Council housing office.