Town centre works to see 'significant' progress

Work to refurbish the memorial garden is estimated to take five weeks

Work aimed at boosting a town centre will take a "significant" step forward this month, its local council says.

A five-week scheme to refurbish the memorial garden at Kirkby Stephen, in Cumbria, is due to begin, while work to upgrade a play park next to Kirkby Stephen Primary school is set to be finished in the next few days.

The outside of the town's visitor centre is also undergoing a refurbishment, including the installation of new timber windows.

The works are being funded with £315,000 from the government's Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).

Westmorland and Furness Council said enhancements to the memorial garden at Silver Street would "create an appealing and welcoming green space in the heart of the town".

Kirkby Stephen and Tebay councillor John Murray said the projects "as a whole will foster a sense of local pride and belonging, as well as improving footfall and drawing people into the town centre".

The refurbished memorial garden will have additional seating and landscaping

Further plans include the installation of new street signs to create an outdoor trail celebrating local heritage and little-known facts.

The council hopes they will encourage people to visit "areas of the town that they might not have thought to explore before".

In November, it was announced plans for a separate play park, at Frank's Bridge, had been pushed back and that the facility would no longer be built using funds from the SPF.