LOCAL shopping centres across the borough are set to benefit from £500,000 of improvements, St Helens Council has announced.

The plans will go before senior councillors on the local authority’s cabinet.

Phase one would cover shopping centres at Sutton Village, Cambridge Road, Rainhill Village, Billinge, Earlestown, Thatto Heath, Four Acre and the town centre.

A second phase would improve Earlestown; Park Road South, Newton; Bassenthwaite Avenue, Wythburn Crescent and Dalehead Place, Moss Bank; Waterdale Place, Sutton; City Gardens and Hard Lane, Windle; Chancery Lane, Tickle Avenue, Nunn Street, Ashtons Green Drive and the Horseshoe roundabout, Parr.

Council Leader Barrie Grunewald said: “Our network of local shopping centres is essential and provides easily accessible facilities to meet the community’s day to day needs.

“They provide a good focal point for investment in accessible local services such as health centres, small-scale commercial and shopping requirements as well as their community amenities.

“They assist in addressing social exclusion and reduce the need to travel so can provide sustainable commercially attractive hubs across the borough.

“This scheme will improve the economic and physical attractiveness of an area.”

St Helens Council said it would bring the total spent at local shopping centres on providing new footways, resurfacing, disabled access and new street lighting to £2-million in the last year.