Funding set to improve town centres and high streets across West Suffolk
St Johns Street, in Bury St Edmunds, which has a host of independent shops. Photo: West Suffolk Council.
Following invitations to apply for funding earlier in 2023 to improve town centres and high streets, grants are now being awarded to four town councils and two Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in West Suffolk.
West Suffolk Council are giving the town councils in Brandon, Clare, Haverhill and Mildenhall funding to deliver projects, in addition to the BID in Bury St Edmunds and the BID and town council jointly in Newmarket.
Grants of up to £10,000 for each town were available and required new match funding from the council or BID at a rate of 40 per cent. The funding will be spent within the town centre of the respective organisation.
Where both a Business Improvement District and town council represent an area, it was asked that funding bids were co-ordinated.
West Suffolk Council created a Town Centre fund for 2023-24, using £38,109 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
UKSPF aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. £7,156 of the 2023-24 funding is revenue and £30,953 is capital.
The Town Centre Fund will support the key town centres across West Suffolk to make investments that improve on the provision of quality spaces to visit and that improve the sustainability of the places where West Suffolk residents live, shop, work and play.
Projects in the individual towns include:
- Brandon – bus shelter improvements.
- Bury St Edmund BID – delivery of a temporary ice rink in Charter Square as part of the Christmas in Bury St Edmunds event. UKSPF funding allows this attraction to be free in order to drive footfall into the town centre.
- Clare – provision of two poles on Market Hill to expand the current hanging basket display; supply and installation of six heritage bollards to the pavement around the War Memorial, to enhance the visual appeal of the area and to provide additional safety features to protect pedestrians; and repainting shop fronts in the town centre to improve the aesthetics of the area.
- Haverhill – to install a digital display screen at the Market Square/Queen Street end of the main shopping street in Haverhill to promote events in the town.
- Mildenhall – to offer grants for businesses in the town centre who will be conducting work on the exterior of their buildings.
- Newmarket Town Council and BID – to fund a High Street Shop Front Improvement Assistance Scheme, to encourage owners to improve their frontages in line with the West Suffolk Shop Front Policy and Newmarket Neighbourhood Plan shop front standards guidelines.
Indy Wijenayaka, cabinet member for Growth at West Suffolk Council, said: “We are delighted to give this opportunity to West Suffolk town councils and BIDS. The funding is driving investment into our town centres and high streets, improving the sustainability and attractiveness of the area for years to come. The projects financed by the fund will ensure that West Suffolk continues to be a place in which people want to live, work, play and learn.”