Work is due to begin next week on a £400,000 scheme to improve Penicuik High Street, Midlothian Council has announced.

Part of the wider Penicuik Heritage Regeneration project, the aim is to improve the appearance of the High Street and to make it safer and more comfortable for pedestrians.

The work will include resurfacing the road and making it narrower at the pedestrian crossing point. Footpaths on the south side of the street and top end of The Square will also be widened and repaved with natural sandstone slabs, while parking and loading areas will be laid with granite setts. Existing guardrails will be replaced with more attractive railings and old or unused pieces of street furniture will be removed.

Midlothian Council has appointed building and civil engineering contractors Noel Regan & Sons to carry out the work, which is due to start on Monday 8 October and will be complete by the Spring of next year. Traffic management arrangements will be in place throughout the project period, although these will be suspended for five weeks over the Christmas period.

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The Penicuik Heritage Regeneration Project is a partnership between Midlothian Council, The Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, Penicuik Community Development Trust and Penicuik First. The full project will focus on the historic core of Penicuik and will run for 5 years until the end of 2023. As well as improvements to historic buildings, shop fronts and public areas, the project will include a series of training, education and public engagement activities.

Midlothian Council's cabinet member for communities, Councillor Russell Imrie, said: "The design for the High Street was drawn up following extensive consultations with local residents, businesses, property owners and community groups. We are confident that the work will improve the appearance and character of the town centre, making it safer and more pleasant for residents and visitors."

Although traffic management arrangements will include temporary traffic lights and some bus diversions, every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum. Some car parking bays, next to the trees on the north side of the High Street, will also be suspended to make way for the contractor's compound.