Burnham-On-Sea & Highbridge Town Council has this week given nine independent shops and businesses in Burnham town centre combined funding of £9,800 towards upgrades of their shopfronts.
The council says the funding is intended to support small businesses while helping to enhance the overall look and feel of Burnham’s main shopping areas.
The council’s scheme offered funding of up to £2,000 for visual improvements to shop fronts, including vacant premises.
During a meeting of the town council’s finance and governance committee on Monday evening (February 9th), councillors decided which shops would receive the funding.
They are: Barber Jack’s £1,500; Beauty Oasis Spa £750; Black Rock Vets £750; Café Beans £1,500; Central Hair Studios £2,000; CJ Hole £500; Prim n Proper £1,000; Regency Residential £300 and Chatterbox £1,500.
Committee Chairman Cllr Ganesh Gudka said there had been 12 applicants seeking a total of £22,000 which exceeded the council’s budget for the grant scheme. “We had to make some difficult decisions,” he said. Councillors chose the businesses that met its criteria.
The grants were offered by the council to encourage new and existing retail/service businesses and landlords to make permanent visual improvements.
