To benefit from improvement grant scheme
More towns
A COUNCIL is looking to extend its grant to improve the appearance of town centres in a bid to attract more visitors.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council wants to roll out its town centre maintenance grant to Treorchy after a successful year-long pilot in Mountain Ash and Tonypandy of the scheme which aims to create more attractive and vibrant town centres.
It now wants to provide the money to Treorchy too with new signage, painting and door repairs as well as other minor works able to be carried out.
The town centre maintenance grant is money the council is providing to support traders and landlords to undertake maintenance works which will improve the front of their town centre properties, contributing to a positive impact on the street scene.
The extension of the scheme will see an additional £36,400 for Mountain Ash and Tonypandy and £30,000 for the pilot to be extended to Treorchy which will open on Monday, July 30. The council hopes to be able to eventually roll the scheme out across all town centres in the future.
The scheme was first approved in September last year.
In Mountain Ash, 20 properties have been involved and just over £41,000 has been spent, of which £20,400 has been contributed by applicants and £20,666 extenfrom the grant.
In Tonypandy, 52 properties have taken part with more than £47,000 spent including just under £18,000 from the applicants and just over £29,500 from the grant.
There are a further 28 applications in process across both of the town centres.
The maximum grant for each applicant if £1,300 and there is a minimum contribution required from applicants of 25% of the costs of the works.
One Mountain Ash business said: “We are delighted with the support from the council and believe the grant will help improve the town and attract more people into the centre.
“You can already start to see the improvements with the shop front that have already been completed.
“Officers have been very helpful in going to Mountain Ash and talking through the process so everything went smoothly.
“This will help make the town more attractive to visitors and provides businesses with an ideal opportunity to improve their premises.”
In Tonypandy, one of those who benefitted said: “For Tonypandy businesses to have a face lift and improving the outlook of Tonypandy town encourages shoppers to attend the area and new business ventures to open as seeing existing business premises looking good gives out a positive signal.”
Cabinet were due to consider the proposal at a meeting on Tuesday, July 17.