SUCCESS for Halesowen in its first venture into the Britain in Bloom campaign has spurred organisers on to include more of the town centre next year.

The floral displays, tidy town and community involvement earned it a highly rated silver gilt in the Heart of England section – just one award below the top gold standard.

A display, showing impressive before and after photographs and listing the names of sponsors and volunteers, is now on show in the Cornbow Shopping Centre.

Centre manager, Halesowen in Bloom chairman Eve O’Connor said the display was a thank you to all those who took part as well as providing information about next year’s campaign, which is starting now with autumn planting.

The route for 2015 will be expanded to take in Queensway where it is hoped to install 25 barrier troughs of flowers around the bus station.

A further nine troughs will be installed in front of the George pub on Earls Island, Mr O’Connor is hoping to secure funding of about £6,000 from the two Halesowen community forums to buy the troughs and will launch a fundraising campaign to raise £800 to pay for the plants.

She hopes improvements will be made to the Andrew Road car park and volunteers from the Hope Centre are preparing to paint railings around the roads in the vicinity.

“It’s not just about flowers but improving the environment for the benefit of the whole of the town,” added Mrs O’Connor.