The Hereford city centre shopfront improvement grant scheme aims to:
- Enhance the visual appearance of the retail shopping areas
- Increase footfall in the city centre by making the shopfronts more attractive to shoppers
- Complement the wider public realm improvement works in Hereford city centre
What the grant can be used for
The grant can contribute towards expenditure including the following:
- Replacement shop front, windows and doors
- Reinstatement of traditionally styled shop fronts, sash windows and doors
- Painting of existing shop fronts and upper floors (including render)
- Replacement gutter and downpipes
- Replacement signage
- Internal security grilles
Who is eligible to apply
To be eligible to apply for the grant you must be:
- An existing independent retailer who would like to replace or improve your shop front
- A tenant or the owner of the building. If you are a tenant you must provide written consent from the landlord as well as a copy of the tenancy agreement (minimum length of tenancy is 2 years)
Eligible properties must be:
- Retail businesses that already occupy premises or ones that are currently empty and being renovated to be occupied by an eligible business as defined above
- Retail units which have a ground floor and street facing frontage
- Located within the eligible area of Hereford City Centre
- Certain types of businesses are excluded from applying for this grant and these include: pawn brokers, adult/private shops, betting shops, charity shops, vaping shops, licenced premises (where the consumption of alcohol is permitted), national and international chain stores. Residential properties are also excluded from this scheme.
Value of the grant
Up to 80% of eligible project costs can be funded up to a maximum grant value of £80,000. Minimum grant requests must exceed £10,000. Grant funding is paid in arrears and will be paid at net of VAT where the business is VAT registered.
How to apply
To apply, contact Hereford City Centre Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme team to register your interest and discuss your eligibility:
A member of the team will conduct a site visit to discuss the proposed works. A professional planning consultant is available free of charge to help you develop your application and support you with any approvals and consents that are required.
Visit the website for further information and application details.
VISIT SITE
