Business owners and landlords in Kirkham’s historic town centre are now being encouraged to apply for grants that could help transform their premises.
Fylde Borough Council’s Shop Front Improvement Scheme was launched after Kirkham was designated a High Street Heritage Action Zone (HS HAZ) by Historic England.
Supported by both HS HAZ and the Government’s Future High Streets Fund (FHSF), grants covering up to 90% of the design and build costs of specialist restoration work are now available to business owners
These one-off grants can be used to help reinstate historic features such as timber sash windows, slate roofs, timber shop fronts, brickwork pointing and guttering.
For full information and to download an application form please click HERE
The Shop Front Improvement Scheme is designed to restore and enhance shop frontages on Kirkham high street by re-instating historic (pre-First World War) shop frontages.
Over the last few decades, Kirkham has lost many of its historic shop frontages and, sadly, some if its character and uniqueness as a traditional market town.
Inappropriate and unsympathetic refurbishments and re-developments have led to a hotch-potch of architectural styles, and materials which do not best promote the town centre are visually uninspiring and detract from its historical character and appeal.
The Shop Front Improvement Scheme seeks to redress this and restore by offering improvement grants to high street business premises to reinstate historical features.
The fund will be open for applications until September 30th 2023 (subject to funding being available) with all work to be completed and invoiced by the end of January 2024. Applicants should note that there is a finite budget for this grant scheme, so early applications are encouraged.
Fylde Council has appointed two Lancashire-based architectural practices – DC & MG Associates and North West Design Collective (NWDC) – to help deliver the scheme. They will work with shop owners and Fylde BC to produce individual designs for each shop frontage based on images contained in historic archive photos.
For more information about Kirkham’s £10m regeneration masterplan, and its many associated projects, please visit www.kirkhamfutures.org
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