PLANS for the final phase in the refurbishment of Accrington's main shopping street have been unveiled.

Funding has been allocated to extend the street-scaping project which was started last year on Broadway.

The final phase will include Cornhill and the top end of Broadway up to Whalley Road.

A new information point will be installed and the area outside the entrance to the town hall extension will be upgraded.

The work is expected to cost £245,000, of which £205,000 will come from Hyndburn Council's capital fund. Funding has also been secured from Lancashire County Council.

This will bring the total spent on the project to improve Broadway to more than £500,000.

Work is due to start on the final phase at the beginning of July and will take up to 14 weeks to complete.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "It is important for our town that we complete the work this year and at the same time we encourage town centre businesses to improve their properties.

"It is all about giving life to Accrington town centre and encouraging businesses to come in and invest.

"We have seen this happening with phase one of the work."

He added that the council and the contractors would be working closely with businesses in the area to ensure any disruption was kept to a minimum while the work was being carried out, which he said had been successfully done during phase one.

The redevelopment of Broadway began last year, when more than £300,000 was spent laying new paving and coloured Tarmac along the main stretch of the street.

Modern metallic street furniture, including benches, planters, signs, litter bins and street lights was also installed.

Earlier this week the owners of the town's Arndale Centre revealed that they were planning to spend more than £250,000 on improvements. Work is to be done on the toilets and the multi-storey car park.