Cash help for village businesses

Herefordshire Council is hoping to boost the number of rural businesses taking advantage of grants available to give tired looking shop fronts a much-needed facelift.

Administered by the council, the Advantage West Midlands (AWM) Market Towns Initiative funded Shop Front Grants scheme, which has been running for two years, has already benefited 21 shops in Hereford city centre, 14 in Ross-on-Wye town centre and nine in Leominster town centre.

However, scheme organisers are now keen to make sure all eligible businesses in the Leominster area, and in particular the rural areas, should apply now for these grants.

The scheme offers independent retail and commercial businesses a maximum grant of £2,000 or 50 per cent of the total cost of revamping their shop front but this rises to 75 per cent of the total cost in rural parishes.

Cllr Charles Mayson, Cabinet Member for Rural Regeneration and Strategy, said: a garage in Kingsland has already benefited from the scheme by using one of the grants to upgrade its forecourt.

He said: “We have been delighted with the response from the market towns and city of Hereford but now want rural businesses to take advantage of the scheme as well.

“The scheme runs until March 31, 2008 but, as the grants are given out on a first come, first served basis, businesses should apply now if they don’t want to be disappointed.”

In the Leominster area, the eligible rural parishes are Aymestrey, Birley with Upper Hill, Brimfield, Croft and Yarpole, Dilwyn, Docklow and Hampton Wafer, Eardisland, Moreton and Eye, Ashton, Eyton, Ford and Stoke Prior and Newton, Hope-under-Dinmore, Humber, Kimbolton, Kingsland, Leominster, Leysters, Little Hereford, Lucton, Luston, Middleton-on-the-Hill, Monkland and Stretford, Orleton, Pudleston, Richard’s Castle, Shobdon and Wigmore.

For an application form, telephone the Delegated Grants and Programmes Team on 01432 260753 or email delegatedgrants@herefordshire.gov.uk