Shopfronts in Tiverton to be spruced up

A ‘shopfront enhancement scheme’ from Mid Devon District Council will offer grants of 50 per cent of estimates, up to £2,500, to upgrade, repair and refurbish shopfronts in the town centre.

The three-year project will be funded by just over £31,000 from agreements with developers for new retail areas. Total payments will be capped at £15,000 in the first year.

A report to Mid Devon District Council’s ruling cabinet on Tuesday [4 October] said: “It is recognised that the visual attractiveness of a town centre is an important element in consumers’ choices about where to shop and spend leisure time.

“The state of repair and decorative condition of shopfronts is an important element of this visual impact and therefore a major contributor to a town’s vitality and economic success.”

An open-application process will have no set deadlines, meaning applications will be determined on their own merit on a first-come, first-served basis.

A previous scheme ran in Tiverton for five years until funding ran out in 2020. One is currently running in Cullompton under the Heritage Action Zone programme, while another is also planned for Crediton.

The report added how, unlike previously, this new scheme will allow applications from upper-floor and basement businesses to also improve their signage and visibility from the front of the building.

“Therefore instead of just ‘shopfronts’, the scheme will now support enhancement work for anything that faces the street as long as it has a street-level repair need and relates to the commercial usage of the building,” it explained.

By Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter.