Armagh businesses call for bigger shopfront scheme after £70,000 council fund is oversubscribed

Armagh businesses could see another council-backed shopfront improvement scheme next year after a £70,000 programme attracted far more demand than the available budget could meet.

The initiative, approved in April and presented to ABC Council’s economic development and regeneration committee, received 146 applications from local businesses. Of those, 93 were deemed eligible, with 60 letters of offer issued initially.

The scheme was designed to improve the appearance of town and village centres through shopfront painting and related eligible works. Councillors described the response as a strong indication of demand from businesses seeking help to improve their premises and the wider streetscape.

Extra money secured for eligible applicants

Infrastructure and Economic Development Manager Elaine Cullen told the committee that a funding gap had emerged after the initial allocation was committed. At the request of councillors, the Department for Communities was contacted to ask whether an underspend from the Covid Small Settlements Programme could be redirected.

The department agreed to provide an additional £16,400, allowing a further 11 rural applications to proceed. The council then agreed to allocate another £11,332 from its economic development budget to cover the remaining 12 eligible applications.

That additional support meant all 93 eligible applications could move forward, according to the details presented to the committee. The scheme was described by councillors as heavily oversubscribed and as a positive development for local high streets and rural communities.

Councillor Kyle Savage, who chaired the committee, said it was “great to see”. Alderman Ian Burns called it “a fantastic project”, highlighting the visible improvements appearing in town centres and the fact that rural businesses were also able to benefit.

Advice offered to unsuccessful applicants

Businesses that were not successful were informed and given advice about how they could apply if the scheme is repeated. Ms Cullen said council officers wanted to support applicants so that fewer applications would be unsuccessful in any future round.

Some applications had requested work that was not eligible, including signage. The majority of businesses that did not proceed had failed to provide the required number of quotations, the committee was told.

“We have given them advice and we will continue to give them advice and support moving forward, because we would like that number to be a lot lower,” Ms Cullen said.

The council has also agreed to present a list of successful applicants at a future committee meeting, following a request from Alliance Councillor Peter Lavery. He described the scheme as a “good news scheme” and said the council should be highlighting what it could deliver for urban and village town centres.

Markethill and other villages included

Independent Unionist Councillor Paul Berry asked whether businesses in Markethill, Gilford and Rathfriland could benefit, given that environmental improvement schemes are currently under way in those locations.

Ms Cullen confirmed that businesses in all three villages were able to apply and said a good number had done so. She added that council officers would continue to liaise with the Department for Communities after the environmental improvement schemes were completed, with the aim of identifying other funding opportunities for public realm works.

Former DUP Lord Mayor Alderman Stephen Moutray congratulated council officers and urged the authority to repeat the shopfront scheme next year with a larger allocation. He argued that the existing £70,000 budget was relatively small compared with the cost of some council facilities.

“I would hope that this scheme will be able to be run again next year and I would hope that council is able to spend a bigger budget on it,” he said.

He also called for further support for small businesses, saying they were being “crushed by a heartless Labour Government”. The comments were made during discussion of the council scheme; the source does not record any decision to run the programme again or confirm next year’s budget.

The committee’s discussion leaves the future of the scheme dependent on a later council decision and the availability of funding. For businesses that were unsuccessful this time, the advice provided by council officers is intended to help them meet the eligibility and quotation requirements if another application round is opened.