WORK on revamping Cinderford town centre is due to start after Christmas.

Cinderford Town Centre project has been awarded Local Action grant funding of £75,000 to make the town centre more attractive to shoppers.

One of the first jobs will be to move the bus stop outside the Palace Cinema to outside the Spar shop to ease congestion, while the footpath outside the cinema will be widened so it is more user- friendly.

Weather permitting, Glouc-Highways is due to start the work in early January.

There will also be a shared space in the Triangle making it more suitable for events and new time limited parking bays so people can pop into the banks, shops and other businesses.

HGV signage will also be reviewed in an effort to reduce the number of lorries going through the town.

Regeneration chiefs say the works will complement other town centre improvements such as upgraded street lighting, a 20mph traffic calming zone and the highway and footpath improvements to the High Street.

The project is also being supported by Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Cinderford Town Council and the private sector through Section 106 agreements.

Lynda Thomas of Cinderford Town Council who applied for the funding said: "We applied for this as part of our regeneration project and it means town centre improvements can start more or less straight away.

"People will notice things happening. We are delighted to receive this funding – it's very very welcome."

Local Action Group chairman Bob Watters said: "We are pleased to have been able to join together with partners to provide a contribution from European funding for this long awaited investment in Cinderford that will improve the shopping experience and support the regeneration of the town centre and benefit the local economy."