Town centre businesses share £100K revamp cash
Grants have been allocated to two firms in the Strathaven area
Two businesses in Strathaven are set for a facelift as part of the town’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS).
Councillors approved grants totalling almost £100,000 to help with repairs at The Weavers Bar and a barber’s shop at 29-31 Common Green on Tuesday, February 16.
Both buildings require external works including fabric improvements, the shop front, rendering and roofing works.
Head of planning and economic development, Pauline Elliott, told the council’s community and enterprise committee: “The council operates a conservation area regeneration scheme in Strathaven with Historic Environment Scotland funding.
“In this report, you are asked to approved two grants for the repair and maintenance of two properties, the first at 1 Green Street and the second at 29-31 Common Green.
“You will note that the applicants will have to pay a share of the project.”
The Weavers Bar is set to benefit from £58,558.19 from the CARS towards repair works in excess of £80,000 while £34,920.55 is set to cost around £50,000.
Both applicants will cover 30 per cent of the costs with the other 70 per cent coming from the CARS.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Strathaven CARS has been extended by one year to allow for any delays in applications being submitted and processed and to ensure the full funding from Historic Environment Scotland can be utilised.
Ms Elliott added: “We don’t have a formal cut off date, we will have to start looking at that now. Due to the COVID pandemic, the scheme has been extended by a year.
“It was going to be ending in March this year, we know have an extra year.
“We do think we will be able to get the money spent. We have about £120,000 left in the pot but our expressions of interest exceed that.
“Assuming everybody that has expressed interest applies, we would be oversubscribed but that is unlikely.
“I think we would probably be looking for final applications coming in about the turn of the year so that we have time to process them for the end of March 2022 cut off.”