Town's £1.4m regeneration set to begin

Work is due to start along Midland Road this year

More than £1.4m is due to be spent on breathing "new life" into a town, a local authority said.

Bedford Borough Council said the money would be spent on regenerating the Midland Road area of the town, from Greyfriars to Ashburnham Road and the railway station, to create "a vibrant corridor".

Shop fronts and buildings will be improved.

The money has come from £22.6m of government funding.

Work is under way to improve shop fronts along Bedford's High Street

A similar scheme is currently being undertaken on the town's High Street.

Samantha Laycock, chairman of the Bedford Town Deal Board, said the plans, due to start this year, were "exciting and represent positive progress".

"Midland Road is the primary gateway from Bedford Train Station into the town centre and this investment will help regenerate a key area of our great town."

The work would "breathe new life into this area", she said.

An artist's impression of what the improved Midland Road area could look like

Grants will be available to pay for 80% of improvements to incentivise "owners to invest in their businesses and buildings", the authority said.

Dave Hodgson, the Liberal Democrat-elected mayor, said: "This is an important part of our plan to continue to grow Bedford Borough as a great place to live, work and stay.

"The project will help restore Midland Road as a key entry point to the town and town centre and, as well as improving the overall look and feel of the town, will help make the premises in the area become more secure and energy efficient, helping to reduce energy costs as well."