Bedford Townscape Heritage Initiative
The Programme
Bedford High Street is set to
receive significant investment after the Heritage Lottery Fund
awarded the Council £850,000 towards the restoration of properties
on High Street, as part of the HLF's nationwide Townscape
Heritage Initiative ('THI'). The Council was delighted to
hear it had secured the funding on 24 July 2011, after more than 2
years work to bring the money to Bedford.
In addition to the Heritage Lottery
Fund monies, the Council is providing £1m of match funding and
Bedford BID are contributing £100,000. The scheme will also
generate private sector contributions from landlords and
owners of the businesses, bringing the total pot to about
£3m.
Objectives of Bedford High Street THI
The Buildings
The main aim is to ensure
the long term preservation of the historic Bedford High Street
area. It focuses on ‘whole building’ schemes, with work on
properties to include:
- Structural repairs
- Restoration of traditional shopfronts
- Reinstatement of lost architectural
details
- Bringing upper floors back into productive
use
The Council is currently
working with 12 property owners / tenants on the High Street, to
bring forward applications for grant funded renovation projects and
a number of these should be on site in 2013. Further
information on eligible properties and grant funding is detailed
below.
Learning, Education and Training
The THI project is also
delivering an extensive learning, education and training programme
alongside the physical building works. This aims to provide a
legacy of increased heritage skills and appreciation in the local
area. The programme includes heritage interpretation, events,
educational and community activities, as well as heritage
construction and maintenance skills for owners, tenants,
contractors, students and the general public and a new NVQ Heritage
Construction Skills, now available at Bedford College.
Further Initiatives
Complimentary physical works on High Street, funded by the
Council alone, include improvements to Luddington’s
Passage (between 49 – 51 High Street) and 'Passage
101', between 99 – 101 High Street. The artwork in both
passageways was conceived and realised by Bedford College HND
Fine Art student, Michelle Crowther.
The Council is also
looking at detrafficking options on High Street, as part of a
longer term strategy to improve the pedestrian
environment.
Which properties are included
in Bedford High Street THI, and how will they
benefit?
The plan opposite shows
those properties which are eligible for inclusion in the
scheme. Buildings are classified as either Priority, Priority
Reserve or Reserve. Priority Reserve and Reserve properties will
only be eligible for funding once the Priority buildings have
either obtained grant funding or are no longer participating in the
scheme.
Grant Rates
Funding is available
through grants offered to landlords and tenants along High
Street. The grant rates are set at 70% for repairs and 80%
for reinstatement works. Rates for reuse of vacant floor
space vary. The calculation will be based on the cost of renovation
works over and above any potential increase a property's
value as a result of the work. There is a maximum cap of
£200,000 grant per property.
Looking for more information?
Information on the Council's HLF
Application, including maps of the eligible properties are
available to view on our
THI Updates page.
For background information on the
project visit our High
Street Renaissance page and for events and new
documents visit our High Street - Notice
Board page.
If you would like any further
information on Bedford High Street THI, please contact the THI
Project Manager, Nancy Falloon on (01234) 276258,
email: nancy.falloon@bedford.gov.uk
We are interested in
hearing what you think about Bedford High Street:
To complete a Perception Survey on High Street,
Bedford please visit the Survey
webpage.