HYNDBURN'S bus passengers are to get an additional 14 shelters in a deal hammered out by the council's works department.

Council chiefs have been negotiating with companies over recent months to find a deal which will provide more residents with a warmer wait for their bus.

The previous arrangement between Hyndburn council and London based company Adshell only provided metal framed shelters with advertising panels in streets the considered to have good advertising possibilities.

But after the contract expired 18 months ago, the council eventually struck new deal with company Primesite, also based in London.

The new contract, which will run for about 10 years, will provide an extra 14 shelters in areas not considered to be prime advertising locations without advertising.

The transformation will start in locations throughout the borough, with the old shelters being taken away to be replaced with the new shelters and the additional 14 in locations dotted throughout the borough. The council pays nothing to Primesite, which is allowed to keep all the advertising revenue from the shelters.

Council works manager David Law said: "We have a negotiated a better deal with Primesite which is good for the people of Hyndburn.

"It is important to be able to provide our more vulnerable citizens with shelter from the wind and the rain when they are waiting to travel.

"We have been negotiating with various companies over the past 18 months and we are confident that we have come up with the best deal"

The locations of the shelters have not yet been revealed.

Any residents have any ideas of where bus shelters should be placed or replaced can contact the area council department of Hyndburn 01254 380121 and the team will pass any ideas they receive for consideration.