ALMOST £500,000 will be set aside to clean up Barnsley town centre.

Bigger litter bins will be installed at a cost of £7,000, 35 new benches costing £22,250 will be purchased, lamps, CCTV posts and bollards will cost £30,000 and town centre wardens’ shifts will be extended to 11pm - in line with expected increased footfall - in a bid to ‘control antisocial behaviour’.

An extra cleaning team will also be on duty until 11pm, seven days a week.

A report, to be considered by the council’s ruling cabinet on Wednesday, said: “The opening of the Glass Works within the town centre is a significant opportunity to improve our offer to visitors.

“Customers’ experiences must be positive to ensure that people keep visiting and returning to the town centre to shop, work or experience the cultural offer.”