Portrush traders are being invited to submit applications to a new £500,000 grant programme, which is designed to improve shop frontages in advance of Royal Portrush Golf Club’s staging of The Open which returns to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951 next year.
Funded by the Department for Communities (DfC), the Revitalise Scheme allows traders to apply for grants up to the value of £5,000 for each property.
DfC Regional Development Office Deputy Director, William Cameron, said: “The Department is providing funding of £500,000 for this Revitalise Scheme in Portrush, which represents a great opportunity for local businesses to improve the appearance of their premises, and we encourage traders to submit applications.
The scheme is part of the wider £17million Portrush Regeneration Programme and complements the other works already underway in the town. It will help to ensure the town of Portrush is looking its very best in advance of The Open’s return in 2019.”
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Joan Baird OBE, said: “This funding will make a real difference as Portrush prepares to capitalise on its position as host of The 148th Open. Working together, Council and DfC want to create a lasting legacy for the resort which leads to growth and prosperity. The Revitalise Scheme, targeted at the business community, will help to transform the town’s built environment and enhance its overall appearance. As part of the wider regeneration programme it will ensure a memorable experience for visitors in 2019 and beyond.”
The Revitalise Scheme will be managed by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on behalf of the Department for Communities, and application forms are available from the Council’s Project Officer, Jan O’Neill, in Riada House, Ballymoney. Tel: 028 2764 9491 or email: [email protected]
UUP Councillor Norman Hillis welcomed the Portrush ReVitalise Scheme launched in Portrush Town Hall on Thursday evening saying ” It is great to see this £500,000 pounds scheme being launched which will certainly complement the Public Realm Improvement Project and Urban Development Grant Scheme which are already underway. This scheme is open to all businesses in the Peninsula area of Portrush and should make for great improvements to business premises frontages in the town.”
