Awnings grant boost for Antrim and Newtownabbey traders

An officer’s report presented to the council at a meeting earlier this week said that a second awning grant will be made available  as part of the council’s town centre recovery action plan.

‘Masterplans’ are being developed for each town in the borough and will be presented to the council at the end of June for approval.

Covid Aware Ambassadors have been introduced in Antrim and Newtownabbey’s town centres  as “a visible reminder to maintain social distancing and to promote the wearing of face coverings” in a bid to promote consumer confidence, the report stated.

Sixty-five businesses have already benefited from the town centre awning scheme which has been completed in Ballyclare, Crumlin, Glengormley and Randalstown and will be extended to Antrim next week. It is now proposed to extend the scheme to businesses in “semi-urban and rural areas” at a cost of £50,000 to be funded by Department for Communities and DAERA.

The council has also agreed that businesses in the borough impacted by the Covid pandemic will be exempt from entertainment licensing fees for the current financial year resulting in a saving of £23,000. Click here

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

--

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.