Members of the local Chamber of Commerce joined a webinar last week to hear how a pot of £100,000 could be accessed to improve shop fronts in Midsomer Norton High Street and in turn, rejuvenate the local streetscape.

The money is part of a wider plan for Heritage England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone project (HSHAZ) and WECA’s Love Our High Street Fund, which will eventually bring over £1m investment to Midsomer Norton High Street.

Improving the visual appearance of shopfronts and facades is a small part of the scheme, but an important one, it is argued – if first impressions really do count.

The £100k matchfunding scheme will support at least sixteen shop fronts between 2021–24 to sensitively redesign and redevelop the appearance of businesses in accordance with the town’s historic detail. Each property has been studied and each business owner or landlord will receive recommendations.

Landlords or business owners would be asked to contribute to 50% of the cost of eligible works and expressions of interest are now being sought.

The webinar heard from Edward Heritage, High Street Project Manager for Midsomer Norton HSHAZ and Lucy Barron, from Donald Insall Associates, both of whom are heritage and architecture specialists and have been carrying out the surveys on the town.

Mr Heritage said about the shop front funding: “This is not millions of pounds, but if we work carefully with landlords and tenants, this could go far. It starts to look like quite a comprehensive package of work.”

He added that those interested in the scheme would be looked at on a case by case basis and that they were committed to guiding people through the process.

The idea is to improve the perception and celebrate heritage and community within the town, with larger, future plans within the funding including temporary pop-up businesses and initiatives and a new greening and planting scheme. The biggest projects will see changes to The Island, bringing in a flexible Market Square, reinstating part of the Town Hall for market space and improving access into the town for the ‘Old Brewery walk’, which leads from South Road car park in to the High Street.

A consultation which took place recently received 93 responses, which summed up the town as a “happy, friendly, quaint place” but respondents generally agreed looks a bit tired!

Businesses can register their interest by emailing: [email protected]