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Empty Shop Signage Grant Scheme

Applicants Guide 2023-25

The Scheme is being operated by Erewash Borough Council and is funded from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

1. Introduction

1.1 This document is designed to assist applicants to apply for the Empty Shop Signage Grant Scheme. Copies of the guidance and registration form are available on Erewash Borough Council’s website:

Aim

1.2 The aim of the Grant is to support new traders and businesses within Erewash and is one of a number of initiatives that form a wider regeneration programme for the borough funded through the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The scheme will provide a boost to the local economy by providing grants of up to a maximum of £2,000 to eligible applicants.

Who can apply for a Grant?

1.3 The Grant is open to businesses occupying vacant ground floor retail units in the town centres of Ilkeston and Long Eaton. In Ilkeston this covers Bath Street and South Street. In Long Eaton this covers High Street, Market Place and Tamworth Road (no further south than Broad Street).

1.4 Eligible applicants can apply for a grant of up to £2,000 towards the costs of shop front signage.

 

2. How you apply for a Grant

For the purposes of this section “you” means “The Applicant” and “us or we” means Erewash Borough Council.

2.1 You can download a Registration Form from the Council website or request one from the Economic Development (ED) Team. You complete the form and submit it to the ED team by email or post. They will let you know if you are eligible and tell you what you need to do next.

2.2 You will need to have a bank account in your business name into which we can pay the Grant by bank transfer, following approval.

2.3 You will submit completed forms and supporting documents to us by email or post addressed to the Economic Development team.

2.4 Applications should be made before premises are occupied.

 

3. How we will assess your application

3.1 All grants will be made at the sole discretion of Erewash Borough Council. All grants will be subject to availability of sufficient funding. Erewash Borough Council will not be committed until the formal acceptance of the offer of the grant by the applicant. The Council will consider Applications on a first come, first served basis. The scheme will run between July 2023 and March 2025, subject to sufficient funds.

3.2 You need to give details of any grant funding your business has received over the past 3 years. This is required due to subsidy control rules that govern how much public money a business can receive over a given time.

• You will need to provide a quote and design for the signage (please see point 5 below for design guidance).

• You will need to provide a copy of the lease for the unit in question.

 

4. How you will be informed of the grant decision

4.1 We will notify you of your eligibility for the scheme in writing.

4.2 The Conditions Offer letter will ask you to submit further documentation and information to the Council in order for the application to be processed.

4.3 The Grant will be conditional on the submission and approval of this information. An offer of Grant will then be made.

4.4 The Grant monies will be paid to successful applicants once designs are approved and background checks are carried out, and any necessary consents are in place.

4.5 You must inform Erewash Borough Council upon completion of the works which should be carried out prior to the business opening and within 60 days of the grant award.

4.6 Applicants must hold Public Liability Insurance.

4.7 Grants are discretionary, and Erewash Borough Council reserves the right to withhold payment of the grant in whole or part if any of the terms and conditions has been breached.

4.8 Payment will be subject to you having satisfactorily complied with all terms and conditions of the scheme.

4.9 Payment of the grant will be made into your business bank account (or ‘trading as’ account) via BACS.

4.10 If the costs of the proposed project exceed the maximum grant awarded, Erewash Borough Council is not obliged to increase the grant amount. You may, however, choose to spend more than the Grant on the overall scheme with your own funds.

4.11 You will agree for Erewash Borough Council to involve you in publicity, e.g., press releases, case studies and photographs and reports related to the Grant.

4.12 You will agree to take part in any monitoring and produce relevant information as requested.

4.13 You will agree to use the Grant only for the signage works specified in the grant offer letter.

4.14 If you are VAT registered your grant will be assessed on the net cost of eligible projects; if you are non-registered it will be on the gross cost. If you do not know whether you are VAT registered, you must seek advice from HM Revenue & Customs.

4.15 Erewash Borough Council, its officers and agents shall not at any time be held liable to any person in relation to any loss or damage arising, either directly or indirectly, as a result of compliance by you with these terms and conditions of grant. Award of the grant does not imply that Erewash Borough Council is expressing a view regarding your business or its products/services nor that it accepts responsibility for any debts, or liabilities incurred by you or your business.

4.16 Erewash Borough Council reserves the right to recover all or part of the grant it has provided if:

• You are found to have improperly tried to influence the decision of any officer or Elected Member of Erewash Borough Council in the award of a grant;
• Any information provided in the forms or other correspondence is found to be substantially incorrect, misleading or incomplete;
• You fail to comply with any of the terms and conditions of this scheme.

4.17 We will check whether you have any outstanding debts owed to Erewash Borough Council. If it is found that such debts exist, Erewash Borough Council reserves the right to withhold grant payment until such debts are cleared.

4.18 We will share data with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) of the UK Government who have provided the funding for the scheme. Data supplied in the Application Form will be held on the shared database in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

4.19 We sometimes need to share your information within the Council or with other organisations. We will only share your information when necessary and when the law allows us to. For processing and administering your grant application and payment we may need to share your information with:

- In certain cases we may also share your information with other individuals and organisations for the purpose of the prevention and detection of fraud.

 Our full privacy notice is available at www.erewash.gov.uk/privacy

 

5. Design Guidance

Designs will be expected to accord with the following design guidance. This is of particular relevance as the town centres fall within Conservation Areas (designated for their heritage value). It should also be noted that some proposals would require Advertisement Consent (further details below).

RELEVANT EXTRACTS FROM THE COUNCIL’S SHOPFRONT SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT (SPD):

4          Design Approach

The design of the shopfront should take into account the rhythm and characteristics of the street in which it is located.  Many shopping areas within the Borough contain a variety of building styles.

 

15        Projecting and Hanging Signs

            In addition to fascia signs many businesses advertise their premises with the use of projecting and hanging signs.  The Borough Council will resist inappropriately designed projecting box signs, especially if they are internally illuminated.  Plastic, aluminium and non-traditional materials do nothing to enhance or preserve the character and appearance of a conservation area.  Therefore, the Borough Council will encourage the use of hand painted hanging signs constructed in either wood or metal.  The Borough Council will generally resist applications for hanging signs that are located above fascia level.

18        Illumination

In nearly all cases illuminated signs require advertisement consent from the Borough Council.  There are two basic ways of illuminating signs and these are ‘internally’ and ‘externally’. Both forms of illumination can easily ruin the appearance of a shopfront and detract from an area. The Borough Council will generally resist applications for internally illuminated fascias, box signs and ‘halo’ signs (individual lettering which is illuminated around the edges) in conservation areas, on or near listed buildings and in residential areas. In cases where it is essential for the sign to be visible at night and the level of street illumination is poor, preference will be given to the use of reflected light from discretely positioned spotlights or external lighting units, provided they are not over-elaborate in design and kept to a minimum.

 

19        Lettering

The most pleasing and sympathetic approach to signage is the use of individual letters either painted or fixed to the backdrop of the fascia or facade.  The size and style of the lettering will mainly be determined by the depth of the fascia and the proportions of the building.  The Borough Council will encourage hand painted signs on certain properties. Where upper floor premises are being used for a different business, the Borough Council will resist applications for new external signs other than on the ground floor fascia or facade. As an alternative the Borough Council will encourage the use of lettering on the glass of upper floor windows or wall plaques, constructed out of traditional materials, placed at ground floor level.

If you are unsure as to whether you will require Advertisement Consent the Borough Council encourages you to provide details at an early stage and the council will provide advice as to whether this is required.

The full SPD document can be read at erewash.gov.uk/planning-policy-section/supplementary-planning-documents.html