Bromsgrove's heritage boosted by new lottery grant (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)
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Bromsgrove's heritage boosted by new lottery grant
8:00am Monday 8th October 2012 in News
BROMSGROVE’S heritage is being boosted after the awarding of a significant new lottery grant.
Heritage Lottery Fund’s Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) has awarded £1.2 million to fund a vital regeneration scheme for Bromsgrove town centre.
The money is being used to improve the heritage of the town centre, which has suffered from decline in recent years.
Bromsgrove’s THI scheme will run for five years, with landlords and tenants having access to grants for repair works to buildings, restoration of architectural features including traditional shopfronts, and restoring vacant historic floor spaces.
The THI programme helps ensure an effective partnership between local organisations, enabling repairs and other essential works in historic, but often run down areas.
The funding adds to £400,000 already committed by Worcestershire County Council to fund public realm works.
In addition to the physical restoration, a training scheme is to be set up offering skills workshops in traditional building techniques, helping fill the skills shortage.
As part of the scheme a number of archaeological digs are proposed, while the results of excavations will be presented at a heritage open day event.
There will also be an oral history project, inviting people to share their High Street memories, a before and after photo competition, a new heritage trail, and an architectural competition.
The council say the ultimate aim is to bring back the traditional life and vitality of Bromsgrove as a market town and re-establish High Street and Worcester Road as a bustling, busy thoroughfare.
Bromsgrove District Council’s leader Roger Hollingworth said: “The generous amount of funding we have received will give High Street and Worcester Road a much needed facelift.”
Reyahn King, head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “By working closely with Bromsgrove District Council and the local community, our substantial investment will help restore and repair buildings, bring vacant properties back into use, and create new business and training opportunities.”
For more details see the THI pages at bromsgrove.gov.uk.
