10 small businesses on the Argyle Quarter in Birkenhead are to share £44,000 in grants that will be used to give their shopfronts a facelift. Tony McDonough reports
A grant scheme to improve shop fronts in Birkenhead has awarded £44,000 to be shared between 10 local businesses.
Located in Argyle Street and Market Street, the 10 businesses will benefit from the Argyle Quarter Commercial Property Improvement Grant Scheme. Launched in September it offered grants of up to £5,000.
This scheme aims to improve the look of the area and support business growth. A total of 23 applications worth £110,995 were received from businesses within the designated locations.
These 10 applicants awarded funding comprise a mix of private sector companies and community-focused organisations.
Their proposals cover improvements such as replacement of awnings and external fixtures, swapping external shutters out for toughened glass and access improvements, plus improved health and safety measures.
In Market Street the recipients are Make It Happen, The Lunch Bunch, Wirral Mencap, More Than Just Cleaners, and Face Kandi Medical Clinic. Recipients in Argyle Street are Istanbul Barber, Phoenix Legal Solicitors, Wish Upon A Party Entertainment, WEB Merseyside and Argyle News.
With many of the businesses in this area being either listed or falling within a Conservation Area, supporting the retention of historic shopfronts and encouraging high-quality design of new frontages is a key component of the programme.
It also aims to ensure an approach to security, lighting and signage that respects the character of the conservation area.
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Cllr Tony Jones, chair of Wirral Council’s Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee, said: “Supporting businesses to grow and thrive is crucial to building a town centre that draws people in.
“Being able to fund these projects will make tangible differences to local companies and the customers that they serve, and I look forward to seeing these improvements implemented over the coming months.”
This grant programme is funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through the city region’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation.