Antrim and Newtownabbey town centre funding sought by 90 businesses

The council has been given another £73,000 to distribute to local businesses to support recovery as part of a £1.7m programme funded by the Department for Communities and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

The funds are to be shared across urban and rural areas.

An action plan has been produced for delivery by the council through the Town Centre and Retail Recovery Working Group.

This includes Revitalisation Grants of £1,000 to assist businesses with their individual needs.

Similar to the previous funding programmes, the grants will be awarded on a first come-first served basis.

To help aid the recovery of local businesses, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has already allocated almost £1m of funding for businesses across the retail and tourism sectors of the Borough.

This will include funding for 85 businesses across the borough to be provided with shop awnings.

This scheme will help these businesses to “expand their premises outside of their sites, increasing customer capacity whilst also ensuring social distancing, the council says.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Mayor Councillor Jim Montgomery said: “I welcome this wide array of schemes and grants that will help our local economy recover.

“It has been a challenging year for businesses in our borough and this funding will go some way to supporting their recovery through 2021.”

Commenting on the latest round of funding at a meeting of the local authority on Monday evening, the mayor said: “I’m sure this money will not be too slow in going.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

Click here to read: Marshals support town centre recovery across Antrim and Newtownabbey

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