The county's rundown town centres are to undergo major facelifts to help reinvigorate them following years of deterioration.

Armadale will use £353,374 of the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund to refurbish the Goth tower clock, improve shop fronts, signage, pedestrian walkways and cycle routes, "deep clean" the town centre and develop civic space at the Cross.

The upgrade to the Goth's clock face includes renovation of the wooden louvers and the re-instatement of the bell and work is to start this month costing around £7,320.

Armadale councillor Stuart Borrowman said: "I'm pleased to see the town centre getting some much-needed attention.

"The evidence from rent levels suggests Armadale has suffered more than other West Lothian towns from the growth of Livingston and I'm pleased about the boost.

"Like all locals, I have a soft spot for the familiar landmark of the Goth clock and the pioneering work in community enterprise and co-operation led by Malcolm Mallace that it commemorates."

In Livingston, £230,777 will be spent on improving accessibility and connections from Howden to the Almondvale town centre as well as a "clutter-free" grassy space at Civic Square.

The community sculpture, currently located adjacent to Almondvale Boulevard, will be moved to the north of the square and framed by two rows of trees.

New repositioned stainless steel lighting columns will illuminate the space and improvements to lighting on the foot bridge over the River Almond will also be incorporated into the new-look area.

Shop fronts in Broxburn and Uphall will be improved, as will signage in both town centres as part of a £467,264 package. Chewing gum will be removed in a deep clean of pavements.

Safer connections will be established between each town centre as will transport and car parking sites. Pedestrian, mobility and cycle use will also be enhanced.

Much the same will happen in Whitburn, which will also see the acquisition of a derelict land site behind the Burgh Halls and the creation of civic space at the Cross. This will cost £376,114.

As reported last week, the surface in Bathgate's shopping precinct will be replaced with granite as a mirror image of St David's Church tower as well as improvements to The Steelyard area.

New upgrades will see new park and ride facilities linking a cycle network to the town centre, the creation of a Wi-Fi zone for customers and businesses and a general clean-up.

There will also be a new transport interchange to connect Bathgate and Airdrie including new signage, lighting and public information.

Funding for Bathgate has been confirmed at £860,000, which includes an extra £100,000 from Business Improvement District company, Enterprising Bathgate.

David Stein, Enterprising Bathgate chairman, said: "We were all delighted when we received the news about the funding award and everybody in Bathgate is very excited about what this means for the town.

"We are now hard at work with West Lothian Council to ensure that the budget is spent wisely and benefits the whole town centre."

Some of the proposals for the town centres have still to be approved by the council and town centre management groups.

Linlithgow has received £857,770 to upgrade the wide footway at The Vennel and both footways between The Cross and Low Port using high quality materials.

The council has appointed local contractor, Ritchie Brothers, to carry out the works, which are expected to take 20 weeks to complete.

Improvements will be made to connections between the town centre, train station and union canal, focusing on Low Port as a gateway.

In partnership with Historic Scotland, there are to be better connections between the town centre and Linlithgow Palace, a new heritage hub and archive facility and local visitor centre as well as the reinstatement of a Civic Rose Garden behind the palace.

Improvements including the commission of public art, a heritage trail, and further accessibility improvements to the Peel area have already been given the green light.

West Lothian Council has chipped in with £700,000 as a top-up fund to the £2.345m Scottish Government Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

Council leader Peter Johnston said: "West Lothian received the highest grant of any local authority, which coupled with money from the council and Enterprising Bathgate, will go a long way to develop and promote our traditional town centres.

"Traditional town centres are important to the heritage and economy of West Lothian, especially during a recession, and it's fair to say that over the years they have been allowed to deteriorate. This massive investment will help reinvigorate them and bring them back to life."

Executive councillor for development and transport, Martyn Day, added: "During the works, temporary traffic measures will be in place. The council will liaise with those directly affected to ensure adequate vehicle access for residents and for business deliveries."