Following the Chancellor’s recent budget announcements about Town Deal funding, Lincolnshire has come off very well indeed in the Towns Fund allocations, receiving four Town Deals for towns in the Lincolnshire County Council area as well as two in the north of the county (Scunthorpe and Grimsby).
Heritage Lincolnshire are proud to announce that we have worked extremely hard and managed to find a way into all four of the county council area bids submitted to government in December; Lincoln, Boston, Skegness and Mablethorpe. We are delighted, and incredibly proud of the work of our team, that all four bids on which we led, plus three more that we supported intensively, were all marked “green” and allocated funding within these schemes.
Overall this is a fantastic result for heritage in Lincolnshire and we cannot wait to keep you up to date with details as the projects progress.
Follow the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government who are responsible for the Town Deals on any of the following platforms to find out about the Town Deals in your area; Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Boston
The Boston Town Deal Project aims to revitalise and regenerate up to 30 historic buildings within Boston’s Town Centre through the reinstatement, repair of historic shopfronts and reuse of vacant buildings. This project will deliver economic value to Boston through the perception of place as a ‘town transformed’. This project will ensure that Boston Town Centre is seen as an asset not a liability; attracting visitors and locals, new and existing businesses, and engendering pride in our town’s past and future.
The grant scheme will be focused on supporting building owners the Wide Bargate and Strait Bargate areas of Boston. The buildings have been prioritised based on their potential impact on improving the streetscape. Boston town centre is lucky to have a wealth of historic buildings, which when sympathetically restored can significantly enhance the character of the area. It is hoped that the results of this transformation will be an increased footfall, leading to an increase in business activity and value. The project also aims to bring back into use vacant buildings, in order to encourage further regeneration throughout the town.
The grant scheme represents an exciting opportunity to resolve some of the issues caused by covid 19 and under investment in the town centre. The scheme can work towards restoring Boston’s High Street to its former glory, making it a thriving market town once more.
February 2022;
Bright future for Lincolnshire’s past as Heritage Lincolnshire get the green light to deliver a multi-million pound Town Centre Transformation Scheme in Boston. Find out more about the project as plans are announced.
Bright Future for Lincolnshire’s past; Boston Town Deal Update
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will any alterations to shop fronts need planning permission/other approval?
If your shopfront is being replaced it will require planning permission. This should be handled by your architect and the same information will be required for Planning Permission as the grant application, such as detailed drawings of the replacement shopfront. You can find out if your building is Listed on Historic England’s National Heritage List for England at https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/ . If your building is Listed and you want to make changes to the outside or inside of your building, you are likely to require Listed Building Consent.
If you are replacing the signage to the shop, then it will require advertising planning consent. This should be handled by your architect.
How long would it take to put in a replacement shopfront?
Each case is different; however, with shopfront reinstatement the replacement shopfront is usually manufactured offsite and then brought in and assembled at your shop. The installation onsite usually takes between 1 and 3 weeks. Within that time there might be alternative access options available to enable yo
u to keep trading.
Can the grant scheme support internal works?
The scheme is only for the external elements of the building. Although internal areas effected by the installation of a shopfront will be made good.
Does the grant scheme support the elevation facing the shopping area only?
All sides of the building are eligible, though the segments which make stronger contributions to the conservation area and the quality of the Town Centre will likely be prioritised. Obscured elements (like roofing behind parapets) will also be considered if they help secure the future of the building in the long term.
Will my insurance premium increase as a result of the grant funded works?
You would not expect increased insurance premiums. The toughened or laminated glass is likely to provide the same or greater protection as your current shop front. Please check with your insurance provider.
Reinstating Door Recesses
Door Recesses will often be reinstated as part of the grant-funded works. If there is a local security issue these can be shut off when the business is closed using attractive concertina gates which can be funded through the grant.
Can I retain existing security lighting, cameras and alarms?
Yes! These can be attractively incorporated into the new shopfront design and the cost of repositioning can be included in the grant funding. There is also the opportunity to remove redundant security measures and wiring
Can the grant cover other security measures such as shutters?
Roller shutters usually make an area look worse, especially at night when businesses are shut. There are many other ways to achieve the same level of security and allow people to see your branding and your shopfront. In recesses that we often bring back there can be issues and therefore well-designed gates can be included in the grant.
We will also suggest other ways that you might be able to achieve the security you need without the need for security shutters, such as frosting glazing or internal security mesures.
Will the grant cover scaffolding costs?
If the scaffolding is required in relation the works covered under the grant scheme, we can contribute to the costs at the same level as works they relate to.
Will the grant cover the costs of an architect?
Yes! All architects fees and other professional fees, such as for a Structural Engineer, are covered by the grant at the same levels as the works they relate to.
How will my grant be paid?
Your grant will be paid after you have paid invoices to your contractor or upon the submission of a Certificate of Completion for the works and/or certification by a designated Project Manager at Heritage Lincolnshire for each item of works. To be paid, you must submit a claim form, which will be processed and approved by the grant-making organisation (in this case, Boston Borough Council). The term for payments will follow the council’s standard procedure and payments will be made by BACS to your account.
What if I don’t have enough money for my contribution or to pay for the first architects fees?
No problem! Grant payment schedules can be set in negotiation with your Heritage Lincolnshire Project Manager, with the potential to provide for smaller payments (on a case-by-case basis) to ensure that delivering the project does not significantly impact on your businesses’ cashflow.
Want to find out more about how you and your business can benefit from this funding, please complete the form below:
Boston Town Deal Expression of Interest Form
NEWS June 2022 ‘Millions in Government Funding Confirmed for Lincolnshire’