Shopfront spruce-up scheme's return welcomed

More than £100,000 is being made available as a scheme aimed at improving tired shopfronts returns.

Cumberland Council is encouraging property owners to apply for grants to enable work it says "brings pride back" into town centres and high streets.

More than 100 premises in Cumbria have been upgraded, with 11 vacant units brought back into use as a result of previous funding, according to the Labour-led authority.

Council leader Mark Fryer hailed those efforts as a "great success".

Among the shops to have benefited is Maryport's With Love Photography.

Formerly a cafe, the building, on Senhouse Street, had stood empty since the 1980s until Victoria Scott and her sister, Samantha Cartwright, opened their studio earlier this year.

With their landlord having received a grant to undertake work to the front, Mrs Scott says she is "super proud" of the way it looks.

"It's been beautifully done. Several people have told us how stunning it looks," he said.

Sean Parnaby, chairman of the Maryport Business Group, welcomed the grant scheme's return and encouraged businesses to apply for it.

"It's needed in the town. Although the cost of buying a shop here is relatively low, the expense of transforming a front can quickly make bringing the property back into use unviable, so a helping hand from the council is important.

"Our town centre is also a conservation zone, meaning any work has to be done to the right standard."

The money comes from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and information about how to apply is available on the council's website.

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