IMPROVEMENTS to Huntingdon s High Street and St Benedict s Court have been short-listed for a national award. Retail property organisation BCSC has short-listed seven projects in six towns and cities across the UK for its annual Town Centre Environment Aw

IMPROVEMENTS to Huntingdon's High Street and St Benedict's Court have been short-listed for a national award.

Retail property organisation BCSC has short-listed seven projects in six towns and cities across the UK for its annual Town Centre Environment Awards. Judges will start a tour of the projects next week, with the winner to be announced in early November.

Inaugurated in 1991, the town centre awards celebrate and reward the best that Britain and Northern Ireland have to offer in planning and investing to maintain the historical, social and economical significance of town and city centres.

Huntingdonshire District Council has spent about £1million on improvements to the High Street last year and St Benedict's Court in the past few months.

A council spokesman said: "The work we did in the High Street was completed towards the end of 2005. The existing drainage, road surfacing, footpaths and street furniture were replaced with high quality materials.

"The scheme has improved

Huntingdon High Street by replacing the old slabs and tarmac with a new smooth but textured block paved roadway and new paving slabs."

Feature lighting has also been installed to uplight the facade of the Commemoration Hall.

In St Benedict's Court, the old gazebo was removed, and a new centrepiece created with an extensive seating area flanked by a water feature and large planters.

The old paving was replaced with the same buff coloured paving slabs already laid in High Street.

John Laker, managing director of property company Centros Miller Ltd, and chairman of the eight-member awards jury, said: "The short-listed entries appear to demonstrate proactive and innovative urban improvement projects.

* THE revised Huntingdon Town Vision, a plan which looks at how the town could be even further revised, was formally presented to the town's MP, Jonathan Djanogly, on Friday.

Mr Djanogly said: "I congratulate everyone concerned in the production of this vision document. Huntingdon has a prosperous and vibrant future. Everyone should visit and comment on the exhibition."

The Vision looks at the potential for development on 15 different sites to preserve the historic fabric of the town while providing opportunities to regenerate areas to the west of the town centre.

INFORMATION: The exhibition will be at All Saints' Church, Market Square, from 4pm-8pm tomorrow (Thursday) 10am-3pm on Saturday, 10am-8pm on Wednesday, September 20 and 10am-3pm on Saturday,

September 23.

It will also be at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Godmanchester, from 4-8pm on Tuesday, September 19.