£1m makeover hope for oldest city street

Lower Kirkgate is to be given a makeover thanks to the grant awarded under the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) scheme .

Chairman Peter Baker of Leeds Civic Trust, which has campaigned for improvements to be carried out to Lower Kirkgate, said: " We congratulate the city council for the work it has done in securing this award and look forward to working with them and others over the next few years to help ensure the success of the project."

Kirkgate, which links Leeds Parish Church to the city centre, in on the site of an Anglo-Saxon settlement while the buildings that can be seen today showcase the city's 19th-century development.

Extensive repairs will be carried out to various heritage buildings , including the the reinstatement of lost architectural features and refurbishment of vacant buildings.

The scheme, announced by the the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) today, will bring wider training and work placement opportunities and will involve school children in activities and workshops.

The project is one of 11 town centres across the UK that are to receive a boost totalling 14m. The earmarked money will help fund vital community regeneration schemes in the currently neglected areas, including Whitechapel Market in London to once-thriving ports and industrial towns.

Funding has been initially set aside for the schemes, which must now submit a further application to secure the award.