A £1.7million scheme to regenerate Woodford Bridge was approved by Transport for London (TfL) today.

A formal bid was submitted by the council to TfL in September to regenerate the area around Chigwell Road.

In April the area underwent £426,000 worth of street scene improvements funded by the council.

The money will be spent renovating the area around the M11 flyover, improving crossing facilities along Chigwell Road and upgrading lighting in the town centre and around Roding Primary School in Roding Lane North.

A footpath on The Green, off Green Walk, will also be given a new textured surface and two new park areas will be created, although it has not been revealed where, and new lampposts will be installed to replace damaged ones.

Redundant street furniture will be removed as well as some unused bollards, and village street signs will be installed in the area, which was placed on the village at risk register by English Heritage last year.

English Heritage assesses conservation areas and suggests improvements which could be made to preserve them.

Ward Cllr Paul Canal said: “This area has no distinctive character at the moment so these new treatments will be a breath of fresh air to this conservation location.

“The plan is to maintain what could be a vibrant area and invest more into it.”

In April the area underwent £426,000 worth of pavement improvements on the shopping parade and the M11 flyover which were funded by the council.

Cllr Canal added: “The work which we have already done has improved the area greatly already.

“We had uneven and unsightly pavements which were not very safe and did not look very ‘conserved’.

“Fresh tarmac was put down one side of the parade and it looks a lot better.”

However, manager of Carolina ladies wear shop on Chigwell Road, Lina Caracino, believes more could be done to inform residents of the plans.

She said: “It says a lot that my shop has been here 22 years and I have not heard anything about the plans.

“The work that began here in April did improve the streets a bit and it is looking a lot better already so I am not sure what this plan can improve on.

“Right now people do not know about the shops that are here at the moment so it might make them want to come here more.”

The work is due to begin in summer 2014 and be completed before winter.