First project from £20m regeneration fund underway

The square revamp will include new green spaces and seating areas

Work has begun to revamp a town's civic square as part of a £20m transformation of the area.

Heywood in Greater Manchester was one of several towns in north-west England to be given the funding for a series of projects over the next decade as part of the previous government's Plan for Neighbourhoods scheme.

The revamp of of Peine Square will see the creation of new green spaces and a variety of new seating.

Resident Marilyn Whitehead said the updated square would "bring the community together" and attract people from other places.

"We've got a lovely little village with nice shops and a lovely memorial garden and the churches," she said.

"It's a beautiful place really."

Marilyn Whitehead said the revamped town square will bring the community together

The work on the square happening alongside a £5m refurbishment and extension of the town's civic centre, funded by Rochdale Council and the Arts Council.

Rochdale councillor Angela Brown said the aim was for the newly refurbished square and civic centre to re-open at the same time.

"Bringing this space open will allow us to have that opportunity in the centre that we've not really had before," she said.

Decisions on how the rest of the £20m will be spent will be made by Heywood town board, a local group made up of community members, local councillors and the Harewood and Middleton MP Elsie Blundell.

Councillor Angela Brown (left) said Heywood is undergoing a "huge transformation"

Other schemes planned for the funding include a campaign to support Heywood's early evening economy with financial help to encourage cafes to open later and put events on.

Another local resident of 50 years, Ken Mottram, said some of the funding should be used to put in more road crossings.

"And some of the pavements are really bad. That's what they want to sort out," he said.

The board held a number of public engagement sessions over the summer to discuss ideas with Heywood residents, with a more detailed plan to be submitted to the government before the end of the year.

Councillor Rachel Brown said: "I think in the next two or three years people will see a huge transformation in Heywood and we'll be having businesses really wanting to come here."