IT’S scruffy and shabby and described as a poor advert for Huddersfield.

But now one of the town’s main shopping streets could be in line for a major spring clean.

A stretch of New Street is being earmarked for a revamp to make it more attractive and welcoming for shoppers.

Councillors on the Huddersfield area planning committee have taken the first steps towards renovating the 200-yard stretch from Ramsden Street to Chapel Hill.

It includes stores such as Primark and Wilkinsons, as well as discount stores and a post office.

Councillors carried out a survey of the area with Kirklees officials after very vociferous criticisms were made by members of the public.

Shoppers said the area has a very high footfall, but is shabby, untidy and is not at all pleasurable for either sitting or shopping.

Now the council’s Streetscene service has come up with a scheme to improve it greatly in the short and medium term with a lot of work suggested to the trees, the introduction ofŠsix-tiered planters and barrier planters.

Plans also include putting a circular seat around one of the best trees to increase seating, power-washing benches and bins and a general tidying-up.

Clr Christine Stanfield, who chairs the area committee said: “Having agreed that this scheme should go forward to the decision making public meeting on March 20, I hope all councillors will support it.

“In these difficult times we owe it to the public to do all we can to care for and enhance these much used areas.

“This area was strongly criticised at the last public meeting and I would like residents to see that this committee did listen to the criticisms and is doing all it can to remedy this shabby part of central Huddersfield.

“The plan has some lovely features with more flowers and a circular seat around one of the trees. A good pressure wash will certainly make the seating more appealing.Š

“The work on the trees will make the area lighter in summer and much more attractive for shopping, meeting friends or finding somewhere to sit to have a sandwich.

“I hope all Huddersfield councillors will be happy to support this as it will make a marked improvement to a run down part of a much used shopping area, which is not a good advert for the town.”