A call has been sent out to local businesses following Oswestry’s successful bid to Historic England to become a High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ).
The HSHAZ project is part of the wider regeneration project, Future Oswestry, which is made up of representatives from Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID) and promotes partnership and collaborative working.
As a result of the successful bid, the HSHAZ project is welcoming applications from businesses situated within the Conservation Area of Oswestry for two funding streams.
The first is focussed on restoring shop fronts and the other is looking at repurposing vacant shops into a mixture of uses such as workspace, retail and restaurants on the ground floor, with residential units above.
For successful bids the grants will pay up to 60 per cent of the work costs. The project will help shop owners to enhance both their own business and also improve the way the town looks.
Samantha Jones, Oswestry HAZ Project Officer at Shropshire Council, said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the retail outlets for Oswestry. This grant will enable shop owners to enhance their shop fronts making them more appealing to customers and the town of Oswestry or help them to find new ways to bring into use empty properties such as accommodation.”
Mayor of Oswestry, Councillor Duncan Kerr added:
“It is really pleasing to see the launch of this fund, it’s positive news. I am encouraged that there is significant interest in this specific programme and also that a number of local businesses are investing in their town adding to Oswestry’s rich and vibrant independent traders.
“Oswestry Town Council are match funding Historic England’s grant, investing £75,000 from the Smithfield Capital receipt directly into the town centre. I hope that there is lots of interest and I would encourage people enquire and to express an interest.”
For further information on the grant and an expression of interest form email OswestryHSHAZ@shropshire.gov.uk
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