A scheme to improve Brierley Hill High Street has been given a near £250,000 boost.

Historic England had already granted Dudley Council £1.8 million to help deliver the Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone project.

Thanks to Government funding they have now agreed to fund a further £242,171 for improvements to the war memorial gardens to brighten up one of the key gateways into the town. It takes the total grant from Historic England to just over £2 million.

The cash is also being used to clean up and improve the war memorial which sits in the gardens, as well as to improve a number of shop and business frontages in the High Street.

Council bosses have started the procurement process for the garden works and hope to appoint a contractor next month, with a start being made as soon as possible after that. Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:

"We are delighted and very grateful to receive this extra grant funding from Historic England. The work is already well under way to clean up and improve the First World War soldier that sits atop the war memorial, and this extra funding will enable us to also make big improvements to the gardens around the memorial.

"It was an area of the town that was identified as a high priority for improvement work by residents and business owners, and is a key gateway into the town.

"I have given authority for officers to cut through red tape so we can get contractors on site and working as quickly as possible, and I look forward to seeing the finished results."