A £300,000 cash injection will transform Winsford Shopping Centre with a dramatic new gateway entrance.

The entrance will be the centrepiece at the Dene Drive front of the centre, boasting a glass canopy and decorative masts.

Work is due to start in November and should be finished in time for the busy Christmas period.

It is the latest investment by the centre's Newcastle-based owners, The Grainger Trust, in a bid to redevelop the site for the 21st century.

Other developments include a new retail unit at the former P&J Newsagents and aesthetic improvements, including the staircase to the flats on The Row.

The Trust's Damon Kent said: "Plans have been available to the public over the last few months for general consultation and a very favourable response has been received so far.

"Further plans are already underway by Grainger for more work to follow in the new year to improve the area within Fountain Court.

"This includes new paving, replacement of the barrel-vaulted roof coverings and relocating the war memorials to a more prominent and protected position at the lower end of Fountain Court, opening up the rest of the area for future promotional events."