Grants up to £25,000 are being offered to help bring empty shops in March town centre back into use.

Fenland District Council launched the Vacant Unit Activation Scheme last year as part of the town’s ongoing regeneration project.

The funding aims to aid improvements to vacant premises and bring them up to a lettable standard.

The grants can fund renovations such as replacement shop fronts, windows and doors, replacement signage and changes to internal layouts.

The scheme is being funded by the council’s 'future high streets fund' project, which has been made possible thanks to £6.4million from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) and £2 million from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Cllr Chris Seaton, Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for transport, heritage and culture and lead member of the March Future High Streets steering group, said: “The face of the high street has changed dramatically in recent years, with empty units and household name shops and banks closing across the country, and the pandemic accelerating the shift towards online purchasing even further.

“Thankfully, the work now underway in March will help to halt this decline.

“It will create a more resilient and revitalised town centre that not only provides residents and visitors with a better place to connect and socialise but helps businesses to thrive and stay agile too.

“This grant scheme is a fantastic part of the town’s regeneration project as it will help to bring empty shops back into use and make them available to the community once again, while also further improving the look and feel of the town centre.”

For more information about the grant see: www.fenland.gov.uk/article/16518/Vacant-Unit-Activation-Scheme-grant-scheme

Or, if you think you might qualify to apply, contact project officer Matt Wright on: mwright@fenland.gov.uk

For more information on the March regeneration project, visit: www.fenland.gov.uk/MFHSF