Shopfronts in Heckmondwike are set to be spruced up and the town boosted under a new council scheme.

Kirklees Council chiefs are due to give the go-ahead to plans to spend £800,000 improving the area's 'forgotten' towns and villages.

And Heckmondwike and Spen Valley are priority areas for the cash.

They are among ten centres named in the plans to be discussed at the Council's policy committee meeting on Wednesday.

"It is imperative to restore and support urban village life, to provide alternatives to major supermarkets, and to retain a nucleus of key shops which bond communities and provide services to local communities," said Councillor Peter McBride, chairman of the planning and economic development management board.

"Clearly it will be necessary to discuss with local shopkeepers their priorities, in terms of shopfront improvements and environmental works. Initial consultations are planned for the early summer in the priority areas."

A successful pilot scheme in Moldgreen, Huddersfield, led to local traders identifying priorities such as parking, landscaping, signs, street lighting, and CCTV cameras.

"Batley and Dewsbury have been transformed by bigger regeneration programmes," Coun McBride said. "This proposed new initiative will, in the main, focus on areas and small centres that have not benefited from these larger multi-million pound programmes, but are still in need of regeneration and support."

Heckmondwike was chosen as a priority area following discussions between the council and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, he added.

"A lot of background work has already been carried out in Heckmondwike including a town centre audit. The work will be followed by similar plans for the Spen area," Coun McBride said.

Richard Walker, a member and past president of the Heckmondwike Chamber of Trade, said: "Success generates success - things are happening in Heckmondwike and this extra money will cement that.

"It would be good if shopfronts could be smartened up a bit, also if extra car parking space could be found and a bit of space set aside for people to sit down somewhere nice in the town centre. Traders have already put time and effort into improving their properties, if government is providing extra money that will help."

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