Town centre and park to see £1m upgrade work

The work will include an upgrade of the lighting at the Carillon Tower

A Leicestershire town centre and park are to be revamped as part of a £1m scheme.

Charnwood Borough Council says electrical infrastructure in Loughborough's centre will be upgraded to support the markets and events in the town.

Footpaths, drainage and entrances at Queen's Park will also see changes while the lighting of the Carillon Tower is set for an upgrade, allowing it to be better lit to mark events such as Remembrance Day.

The council says there will be some disruption in the park and town centre in the coming months but it is aiming to keep any inconvenience to a minimum.

'Lasting benefits'

Chris Grace, head of economic development and regeneration for the council, said: "While some of the work will not be obvious to residents, it is significant, and will support events in the town and parks for many years to come.

"It does mean that over the winter, there will be work taking place in the park and town centre, so we would ask people to bear with us. There may be some minor inconvenience and we may need to set up a compound in the park.

"However, by the spring the work will be completed and the town centre and park will be much improved."

Also included in the work will be extra lighting on walkways in the park, new power supplies to the park bandstand and resurfacing of all pathways.

The park entrances at Granby Street and from Granby Street car park will also be upgraded with additional information boards set to be added.

Martin Traynor, chair of the Loughborough Town Deal board, which is responsible for allocating £16.9m of government cash, said: "It's great to see work like this taking place, as they will have lasting benefits for the town and its residents."

About £800,000 of the funding will come from the Town Deal, while the council will contribute about £200,000.