BUSINESSES in three town centres are being given the chance to bid for cash grants to upgrade their premises.

Traders in Horwich, Blackrod and Westhoughton will be able to apply for sums of up to £2,000 for 'long lasting improvements', which may include signage, fixtures and fittings, decoration and CCTV.

The money is being made available through Bolton Council's Business Improvement Grant Funding Scheme.

Funding will be awarded on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, provided the terms and conditions of the grant funding requirements are met.

Horwich North East councillor, Cllr Kevin McKeon, said he anticipated the offer would go down 'very well' with business owners.

He said: "I'm sure they will welcome any help that the council is prepared to give. The scheme has been developed using funds the council has allocated for the benefit of Horwich and Blackrod town centres.

"Local ward councillors discussed how best that money could be used and we consulted with local business people who said they appreciated the last set of grants they had a couple of years ago. So we thought awarding grants would be a successful way to support businesses in Horwich and Blackrod."

Cllr McKeon says he hopes the cash will be a 'welcome boost' to traders in the towns.

He said: "We feel Horwich town centre is successful, given the pressures on high streets nationally, and the competition they are facing from the internet and big retail parks. But we want to enhance that success and support them as much as we can."

Cllr David Chadwick, who represents Westhoughton South, also welcomed the scheme.

He said: "We are trying to ensure that businesses are getting a lift to try to improve their business to provide a better service to customers.

"We have just gone through a period where businesses have struggled and we, as a council, wanted to give some businesses around the borough an uplift and to try to improve their properties, be it kitchens or whatever, to encourage them to stay in the town.

"And it also helps them to provide an improved, better service to customers — I'm sure they would welcome an improved product with whatever we give them assistance with."

The majority of businesses in the three town centres will be eligible to apply for the cash, but there are some exceptions.

Bids will not be accepted from businesses already set to benefit from planned improvement works by their landlord or from public houses, betting shops, cash exchange shops, pawnbrokers and sex shops.

Applications will be welcomed up to January 31.

To obtain more information, register interest and/or request an application form email businessbolton@bolton.gov.uk or call 01204 336222/6131.