Wiltshire Council has invested £580,000 of Vibrant Wiltshire grant funding into businesses that breathe new life into vacant units across Wiltshire’s town centres.
Business owners were encouraged to apply for funding for projects designed to bring empty spaces back into use, either on a temporary or a permanent basis, with grants ranging from £1,000 to a maximum of £10,000.
Since the Vibrant Wiltshire grant scheme launched in January, more than 120 enquiries have been received by the team, with 82 applications submitted for consideration. To date, 61 grants have been approved, with 24 projects already receiving their grants in full.
32 previously vacant units have reopened and are already operational throughout the county's town centres, including Midsummer Olives in Melksham, Central Bark Dog Grooming in Pewsey, Daliz and Son Ltd clothing in Salisbury, and the Chippenham Community Hub.
Vibrant Wiltshire is part of the Wiltshire Towns Programme, a £1m investment each year for four years into reinvigorating the county’s high streets.
Grants have been awarded for projects across Wiltshire, including in Bradford on Avon, Calne, Chippenham, Devizes, Downton, Malmesbury, Marlborough, Melksham, Pewsey, Royal Wootton Bassett, Salisbury, Trowbridge, Warminster, Westbury and Wilton.
Cllr Laura Mayes, Deputy Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “We’re committed to supporting local businesses, enhancing town centres and driving economic growth as part of our Business Plan, and that’s why we allocated £580,000 from the Wiltshire Towns Programme to support the Vibrant Wiltshire grants.
“Our aim was to encourage business owners to share their ideas and projects to fill empty shops and commercial units in high streets throughout Wiltshire, to create a more engaging, thriving and attractive environment for shoppers, visitors and investors alike, improving the vibrancy of our market towns.
“We’re delighted that so many of our local businesses and enterprises applied for the grants and were successful. We can’t wait to see their ideas and projects coming to fruition and opening up across Wiltshire.”
To find out more about the Wiltshire Towns Programme and the Vibrant Wiltshire grant allocations, people should go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshire-towns-programme.
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