Tenants on a housing estate could at last be given the right to buy their own homes, writes David Horne.

Moves are under way to allow the 400 tenants of Witney's Windrush Valley estate, owned by a housing association, to be given the same rights as council house tenants.

West Oxfordshire district councillors, who fought for the restriction five years ago, are now recommending its removal.

Conservative Party group leader Barry Norton said: "This issue has long been a bone of contention with residents." The estate was built in the 1950s to house workers for Smiths Industries, which relocated car component factories from London to Witney.

All the homes were for rent only and were sold to Shaftesbury Housing Association in 1995 after a lengthy dispute between the district council and Smiths.

However, a condition of the sale was that all except 20 of the properties be retained as social rented housing.

But since then tenants have campaigned for the restriction to be lifted, giving them the same status as council house tenants with the right to buy. Most of the houses are two and three-bedroom properties. Now Shaftesbury wants to introduce a better mix, including flats, and to raise cash through sales.

Housing committee chairman David Robertson said: "Shaftesbury sees positive community benefits in mixed housing."