Goole Town Deal’s Property Activation Fund has provided match-funding towards the cost of work to enhance several town centre business premises.

The grant allocations have been used by the owners of the buildings to enhance their appearance, make them more energy efficient and, in some cases, safeguard the future viability of the businesses based within them.

Match-funding recipients include Sew Impressive at 129 Pasture Road, which received a grant of £2,440 towards the cost of almost £5,000 worth of urgent work to repair a leaking roof, which had caused expensive equipment to be damaged and left part of the premises unusable. This, in turn, was having a negative impact on the turnover of the business and its plans for growth. 

Business owner Peter Bruce said: “By providing us with match-funding towards the cost of roof repairs, Goole Town Deal has helped to ensure that footfall to the shop can continue to grow, and that the building does not become unusable and empty.”

A match-funding allocation of just over £4,000 was made towards the cost of more than £8,000 worth of work to enhance the frontage of S&D Recruitment’s premises at 69 Boothferry Road. This project involved installing new signage and shutters, as well as the replacement of the existing single-glazed window and door with double gazing to make the premises more energy efficient.

Sasha Shirbon, Director of S&D Recruitment, said: “The grant made a huge difference to our office; we had double glazing fitted and we are now a lot warmer and quieter.”

Chronicle Publications received just over £5,000 towards more than £10,000 worth of work to enhance the frontage of the Goole Times building at 102 Boothferry Road.

Goole Times editor, Jane Rogers, said: “The Property Activation Fund grant has helped us to modernise the front of our offices, which were beginning to look a little tired. We have replaced worn out shop fittings with modern, more energy efficient ones, giving this old property a new lease of life.”

IPM Personal Pension Trustees Ltd received match-funding of just under £9,850 towards the cost of almost £20,000 worth of work to improve the appearance and energy efficiency of its office premises at Hedley Court, and improve the car park to the rear of the building.

Paul Mills, a Business Energy Broker at IPM Personal Pension Trustees, said: “Having the Property Activation Fund grant allowed us the opportunity to improve the site far quicker than originally thought. The overall improvements have been first class and have uplifted a tired-looking property into a building that’s more secure and far better insulated than before. We changed 26 old, wooden windows to new UPVC double-glazed windows and completely dug up the old car park, re-laid it with new tarmac and white lines, and added security lighting, so it’s far better for the tenants on dark winter evenings.”

Spoilt Rotten at 101 Pasture Road secured match-funding of just over £6,000 towards the cost of a £12,000 package of work to replace the shop frontage and windows, as well as the customer toilet facilities, making the building more energy efficient and visually appealing.

Meanwhile, Wilson Withers Estates received almost £12,600 towards the cost of more than £25,000 worth of improvements to the roof, internal walls and shop front of premises at 5 Boothferry Road. 

The Property Activation Fund is one of eight strategic projects that were allocated a share of Goole’s £25 million in Town Deal funding from the Government. Property Activation Fund grants totalling almost £2.5 million have been awarded to 24 different properties, with some projects already complete and many others currently in progress.