STREETS around the new temporary library at Wellington House are to be smartened up to the tune of £503,000.

It is part of Barnsley Council's ambitious plan to improve the town centre and the idea is to make the approaches to the new library more attractive to users.

The works will include refurbishing Wellington Street, between the junctions of Pitt Street and Wortley Street.

This should have been completed last year but granite material for the footpaths is no longer available. An equivalent type of material has since been chosen but will increase the cost of works by £34,000.

The junction of Pall Mall and New Street is also being improved, this will include replacing the existing block paved road with a coloured blacktop material.

Disabled bays will also be remarked and a section of New Street, between the Westway junction and the block paved area, will be resurfaced.

Shambles Street, from Townend roundabout to Peel Parade, is one of the main gateways in to the town centre and will be resurfaced as it is 'cracking and potholing' and looks 'unsightly'. Dodworth Road, from Townend roundabout to Alma Street, will also be resurfaced.

Town centre businesses and retailers will be kept informed throughout the works, which will be timed and organised to minimise disruption.

At a cabinet meeting, council leader Sir Steve Houghton said: "We would have done this area anyway and we have brought it forward because the library is moving there and we need to make improvements."