£1m of Mid and East Antrim’s Covid recovery fund unspent

A report to the committee on Monday evening said a sum  totalling £1.4m has been received from the Northern Ireland Executive departments –  £881,000, from the Department for Communities, £375,000, from Department for Infrastructure and £156,000 from Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

A Covid Recovery Small Grants Scheme has been made available to help businesses become “Covid secure” and to promote town centres as safe environments.

Grants ranging from £500 to £2,000 have been offered to “help businesses address some of the challenges presented by the pandemic”.

To date, 198 businesses have received a “letter of offer” for funds totalling almost £300,000 and applications for a third phase which saw almost £140,000 up for grabs has just closed.

The committee has been told a total allocation of approximately £1m remains for council-led activities which must be commenced by March 31.

This funding is “aimed at revitalising town centres to “increase footfall and repurpose vacant and under-utilised spaces” led by the Town Centre Recovery Group.

The “recovery revitalisation initiatives” have been described in the report as “primarily aimed at improving and animating town centres to increase footfall and generate economic activity post-Covid lockdown measures”.

A series of initiatives have been earmarked for roll-out this year in a bid to “increase footfall and generate economic activity post Covid lockdown measures”.

Thirty hand santitising units are to be installed at “key points” in town centres. Equipment is being purchased to provide “pop up cinemas” for indoor and outdoor locations. Proposals also include parklets, seasonal lighting, wall art and illuminations.

There are also plans to create entertainment zones with activities such as board games and table tennis.

Town centres will be brightened up with seasonal lighting and painting. Seasonal markets are also planned in Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena.

There are also plans for the installation of solar charging stations and bike parking facilities. New street furniture is to be purchased.

Meanwhile, the local authority is planning to provide £100,000 for a grant scheme offering potential investors a “financial incentive investment to repurpose vacant buildings”.

Four national retailers have shut up shop in Larne town centre since the start of the Covid pandemic. Three have pulled down shutters at Laharna Retail Park where another is holding a closing down sale. Greggs bakery failed to reopen at Main Street in Larne after lockdown last year resulting in the loss of ten jobs. Click here

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

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