Council chiefs dish out first grant from fund

Kirklees Council’s cabinet gave the go ahead for Imsons to receive the first Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative grant at a meeting last Tuesday.

The scheme is a five-year project funded by £2m from the Lottery fund and £1.7m from Kirklees Council.

The Foundry Street family-run gift shop will put the money towards renovation work including replacing the shop fronts, defective gutters and fall pipes and improving doors and windows.

Imsons owner Soeab Laher said: “We are happy that it finally came through because we needed it.

“We are very pleased too because we were waiting a long time.”

The size of the grant has not been revealed but the renovation work has already been granted planning permission.

A “clawback” clause has been included to ensure that no profit is made as a result of the grant if the property is sold.

Future projects to be considered by the scheme include Pioneer House, 23 Northgate, Northgate House, Northgate Triangle and Kingsway Arcade. Coun Peter O’Neill (Lab) said: “I’m very pleased this is going ahead so we will see somke much need improvement in Dewsbury’s town centre.

“It will have a significant effect, it’s a positive first step of the improvements.

The scheme will end in June 2018.