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Newport Building Improvement Grants

Guidance for property owners/tenants on the grant scheme

As part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) programme we can provide funding towards the costs of works to improve commercial frontages in a way that enhances the town centre conservation area. We can also provide support towards the costs of bringing unused spaces (such as empty upper floors) into use. Funding is only available for properties in the area shown in the map below, principally parts of: High Street, St James Street, St James Square, Pyle Street and St Thomas Square.

Funding is limited and will be targeted at properties which enable the greatest overall impact for the investment. The grant programme does not have a competitive bidding process, instead we have a rolling programme of assessment of potential buildings to grant aid. As part of this process we welcome expressions of interest from property owners/tenants/managers who would like to participate in this scheme. Grants are expected to typically be in the region of £3,000-£20,000 per building.

If you submit an expression of interest (EOI) it will undergo initial eligibility assessment. If it is potentially eligible, you will be contacted by the project manager to discuss your property further. Additional information may be required at this stage. We will use this information to identify the most suitable properties to prioritise for investment. Funding is available over several years, and if an eligible property is not selected for early investment it will remain under consideration for later funding periods.

There are several prerequisites for buildings to be eligible for grant support and we would recommend you only submit an EOI if you are able to meet all of these:

  • The application must come from whoever has repairing responsibility for the building.
  • The applicant must either own the freehold or a lease of at least 3 years.
  • The property must be within the HAZ core investment area (see map above)
  • Proposed works must enhance the conservation area
  • Applicants must be able to demonstrate their commitment to ongoing maintenance and repair of the property to a high standard after works are completed.
  • Grants are designed to support improvements for owners/occupiers with an ongoing commitment to their building and the town. Grants must be repaid if the building is sold within 3 years of completion of works

Additional grant funding requirements will need to be met, details of these will be provided ahead of agreement in principle to proceed with work on a particular building. Grants will be subject to government regulations on subsidy which replace state aid rules.

Grant funding will cover up to 80% of eligible costs (including relevant professional fees) for frontage improvements and 20% of work to bring unused floors back into use.

To submit an expression of interest, please complete the form below.

If you are uncertain about any aspect of the process or your potential project, please feel free to contact us before submitting an EOI.

First name
Last name
Email address
Phone number
Name and address of shop/premises
Town
Your relationship
Duration of tenure (state number of years remaining on lease or if freehold)
Is the building listed?
Outline of improvements you would like funding support for
Please confirm you have read the guidance above
Please confirm you are prepared to commit to the ongoing maintenance of the building to a high standard
Please outline any works you have completed in the last 3 years to improve the building and any you have planned in the next 3 years