More applicants are being encouraged to apply for grants that will see Cullompton’s High Street enhanced. 

Building owners, lease holders and shop owners in Cullompton can apply to Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) for grant funding to support the repair and reuse of their properties in the town centre, as part of the town’s High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ).

Grant contributions of up to 70% are currently available but the contribution offered may reduce later in the year depending on demand. These grants are available for building repair, to help open up vacant properties and to allow sensitive and historic shopfront restoration where appropriate. More general shopfront improvement grants are also available in the town centre offering contributions up to 50% towards costs.

Richard Marsh, Director of Place, said: “We encourage building owners, leaseholders and shop tenants to come forward to make the most of these grants. Along with the public realm enhancements planned around the Higher Bullring, these building grants should give confidence to building and business owners that they can invest in their properties knowing that there is a concerted effort to make the town centre more attractive to shoppers and visitors as part of wider regeneration.”

The Council has always recognised the importance of Cullompton’s heritage and in addition to the grant scheme, the HAZ project will also aim to enhance the historic public realm around the War Memorial in the Higher Bullring. This will provide a greater focal point to the town centre and provide an extended community space for events, cultural activities and markets.

Further information on this project will be available this summer during a further round of consultation. The HAZ project runs until March 2024.

 As part of the project the Cultural Consortium Creative Cullompton is continuing to deliver a range of high street focused cultural activities, celebrating its heritage and the importance of the high street to the town. 

The project is funded by Historic England with a grant of up to £1.1m, and is being matched with contributions from Mid Devon District Council, Cullompton Town Council, and Devon County Council. 

To apply for a grant or to find out more information please contact the High Street Heritage Action Zone Project Officer on CullomptonHAZ@MidDevon.gov.uk, or view our pages. 

About High Street Heritage Action Zones

Historic England is working with local people and partners through grant funding and sharing our skills to help breathe new life into high streets that are rich in heritage and full of promise - unlocking their potential and making them more attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors. The High Streets Heritage Action Zones Programme, backed by government funding, aims to help with the recovery of local high streets from regenerating historic buildings to helping to engage local communities through art and cultural projects.

About Historic England

We are Historic England the public body that helps people care for, enjoy and celebrate England’s spectacular historic environment, from beaches and battlefields to parks and pie shops. We protect, champion and save the places that define who we are and where we’ve come from as a nation. We care passionately about the stories these places tell, the ideas they represent and the people who live, work and play among them. Working with communities and specialists we share our passion, knowledge and skills to inspire interest, care and conservation, so everyone can keep enjoying and looking after the history that surrounds us all.