BUSINESS owners can apply for grants to revamp town centre buildings in a bid to breathe new life into the high street.
Flintshire and Wrexham councils have joined to launch the Business Enhancement Scheme.
It offers grants for property owners and tenants to refurbish vacant buildings and frontages to enhance the attractiveness and usability of buildings within the town centres.
The aim is to bring empty buildings back into use to open up opportunities for the creation of jobs.
The scheme is targeting nine town centres in Flintshire – Buckley, Connah’s Quay, Flint, Garden City, Holywell, Mold, Queensferry, Saltney and Shotton – and the King Street area of Wrexham town centre.
Grants up to a maximum of £80,000 per property are available, with the grant funding up to 80 per cent of the total cost of external improvements and 60 per cent of the total cost of internal works.
This is primarily funded through the European Regional Development Fund, through the Welsh Government, with funding also provided by Flintshire Council, Wrexham Council and the private sector.
Cllr Peter MacFarlane, cabinet member for regeneration, enterprise and leisure in Flintshire said: “These grants will help to improve the physical appearance of both the business premises and our towns as a whole.
“Hopefully, it will encourage further investment, which results in the creation of more vibrant and viable town centres.”
Cllr Neil Rogers, leader of Wrexham Council and lead member for economic development and regeneration said: “I welcome the ability to support businesses to carry out their own improvements to their premises and develop their businesses at the same time as we are carrying out improvements to the lighting and paving around the bus station. This means there will be a double benefit to the businesses and to visitors."
For more information contact Flintshire Council on 01352 702137 or Wrexham Council on 01978 292446.