A VILLAGE high street is to get a £50,000 makeover.

Bolton Council bosses will spend the money supporting schemes in Little Lever as part of this year’s action plan.

New block paving, costing £33,200, will be installed in Market Street, on the precinct side of the road.

It will match the repaving, which was carried out between Haywood Street and the library just over four years ago.

An £11,500 traffic island will be installed in Stopes Road to make the road easier for pedestrians to cross.

It will mean the road will be made narrower to improve safety by encouraging motorists to drive my slowly.

In addition, £3,912 will be spent on replacing the benches in the town’s precinct with new, more durable seats, and £1,000 will be spent on the refurbishment of cast iron bins.

Cllr Maureen Connell said: “We are always trying to make the centre pleasant for the people who live in Little Lever.

“Stopes Road is such a wide crossing that people don’t like using it very much, so I think the traffic island will make a big difference to the safety of our residents.

“When I’m out and about in Little Lever, people have said to me ‘We could use some new benches’ and I agree with them, which is why we’re bringing these new benches in.”

Cllr Anthony Connell added: “Stopes Road is quite a dangerous place. There are cars racing through and it needed to be made narrower. As for Market Street, the resurfacing of the pavement will improve the safety of the public, as block paving is less slippery.

“We have had funding for years to enhance the centre of Little Lever. Hopefully this is a long-term investment and we have spent the money as best as we can.”

Other projects being included in the Little Lever plan are the installation of drainpipes in the Market Street precinct, a general clean-up of the precinct and small scale improvements, such as replacing drainpipes.

The area gets the cash every other year from Bolton Council’s District Centre Improvement Fund — Horwich, Westhoughton and Farnworth also get a share of the money.

Other work that has recently taken place in recent years includes installation of the Little Lever Manufacturing Arch at the Memorial Gardens and some new bins and bollards.

Little Lever is the smallest town or village centre in the borough, with a population of 12,799.