Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Panel Announces £45,000 of shop improvement grants
Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Panel Announces £45,000 of shop improvement grants
The Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Panel have offered grants worth over £45,000 from Hyndburn Borough Council for shop front improvements on Queen Street, Church Street and Blackburn Road in Great Harwood.
Funding is provided via the High Street Accelerator Programme, which is a UK Government pilot awarded to ten areas across the UK to help partnerships between communities and Local Authorities to work together to address local challenges, such as empty shops and increasing visitors to high streets.
In December 2024, shops in these identified areas were invited to bid for funding to upgrade their frontages, benefitting both them and improving the aesthetics of the street. The aim of the financial support was also to encourage new businesses to set up in the area, addressing the high vacancy rates.
“Community Chest” style grants to existing and new local businesses was identified as a specific intervention in the Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Plan, which was officially launched last week.
Image: Councillor Noordad Aziz, Deputy Leader of the Council, Peter Holden, Chair of the Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Panel, Nichie Aspinall of Gareth’s Florists and Winifred Turner, Sue Hoyle and Angela Standen of Saints & Lady’s
Peter Holden, Independent Chair of the Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Panel said:
“The Panel is so pleased to be able to support businesses with funding to upgrade their shop frontages. Individual grants have ranged from £320 to £2500 and have been awarded to both established independent businesses and those opening new businesses in the area. This is a great intervention to improve the aesthetics of the high streets and encourage new investment.”
Grants worth £45,000 have been offered to 20 shops and will be match funded by over £30,000 of private sector investment. The full list of shops offered grants is:
– Brie Mine
– Joseph James Hair Ltd
– Gareth’s Florist
– The Look Club Ltd
– Shear Heaven
– Julia’s Hair Studio
– Saints & Lady’s
– Tipsy Cows
– Solo Hair Design
– Flow Wellbeing Network
– Harwood Bikes
– Mail Order Vinyl
– Shop By The Clock
– Dusso Hair Studio
– Fresh off the Hook
– Golden Magic Barber
Two additional grants have been offered which will bring four empty properties back into use, including a new banking hub for the town on which work is underway.
Ish Ahmed, owner of 14 Queen Street, which will become the new banking hub said:
“The grant has allowed me to invest in much-needed improvements to the frontage at the former Barclays bank premises, aiming to enhance the overall customer experience and attracting more foot traffic. This will not only boost the business but also contribute to the revitalisation of the high street, supporting local business and creating a more vibrant shopping environment for everyone.”
Councillor Noordad Aziz, Deputy Leader of the Hyndburn Borough Council and Panel Member said:
“We are delighted to be able to invest in improvements to so many businesses, and I particularly welcome that this funding is also being used to bring empty shops back into use. We’ve been working to support the opening of banking hub in Great Harwood for some time now. This is a much-needed asset for the town and I’m pleased the Panel were able to support this.”
Additional shop improvements will be carried out this year including at Gareth’s Florist, which has been a mainstay of Queen Street for over 50 years.
Nichie Aspinall, Owner of Gareth’s Florist said:
“I’m excited to share that I’ll be using my grant to rebrand Gareth’s Florist after recently taking over the shop. This is something I couldn’t have done without the support of this initiative. The rebrand will include a new sign, fresh paint, and a brand-new blind—bringing a fresh look to the shop!”
“Community Chest” grants to existing and new local businesses was identified as priority intervention of Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Plan, which was officially launched earlier this month.
The Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Plan is funded by the UK Government via the High Street Accelerators Pilot Programme. The Plan can be viewed in full below.