ALTRINCHAM Forward's £6m drive to improve the town centre will enter a new phase in March.

The group has teamed up with design consultants Planit-IE to make various locations more pedestrian friendly in a bid to drive up visitor numbers.

The works are due to begin in the Spring in areas that have been targeted include Shaw's Road, Cross Street, in front of the taxi rank on Stamford New Road and Goose Green.

The improvements in conjunction with Altrincham based Planit-IE include:

* gateway spaces marking the entrance to the town;

* new street paving that contributes to the character of the town;

* wider, tree-lined streets with equal priority for pedestrians and vehicles;

* lighting to highlight Altrincham's architectural assets;

* de-cluttering of streets to improve the experience for visitors.

'Drop in ' public consultation sessions will take place at Altrincham Town Centre in a bid to give residents and visitors the chance to have their say about the scheme.

Nick Payne, chairman of the Altrincham Forward Place Group said: "This is a really exciting project for Altrincham that will transform the street scene through the core of the town, and create a high quality environment.

"Altrincham Forward has worked hard to drive the development, which we anticipate will result in a significant increase in footfall in key areas of the town, building on the positive impact we are already seeing from the redevelopment of AltrinchamMarket and the opening of the new Interchange."

The works are due to be completed in September.

Councillor Michael Hyman, executive member for economic growth and planning said: "Trafford Council is putting significant investment into creating attractive streets and public spaces to create a modern town centre that is the hub of the community and fulfils our vision of a modern market town."

Ed Lister, a partner at Planit-IE said the project aimed to create "vibrant streets" in the historic Trafford town.

He added: "As part of the local business community we eagerly await the changes."

* Three drop-in sessions will be held at Altrincham Town Hall on January 26 and 27 (1pm to 7pm) and January 30 (12 noon to 5.30pm).