New lease of life for empty shops with £5k grants

Empty shops in Oswestry could soon be given a new lease of life as businesses are offered grants of up to £5,000 to move into vacant town centre premises.

Oswestry Town Council is urging entrepreneurs and established businesses to take on premises that have stood empty for more than six months, with funding available to help cover the costs of transforming them.

The scheme is open to new owners and occupiers moving into vacant town centre properties, but cannot be claimed by landlords or tenants who were in place when a building became empty.

Mayor of Oswestry, Cllr Jonathan Upton, said there was still funding available and encouraged businesses to come forward.

The Breathing New Life into Empty Properties initiative offers grants for a range of improvements, including refurbishment work, decoration, signage, branding and accessibility upgrades.

Upton said: "There's still funding available and we would love to see it put to good use.

"Our town centre is in a strong position, and these grants are about building on that.

"We want to ensure that any vacant property becomes an opportunity for ambitious local businesses.

"This initiative reflects the council's commitment to keeping Oswestry a place where new businesses can take root and our high street continues to thrive."

Applications remain open until 23:59 GMT on 31 December.

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