Happy shopkeepers welcome grants boost

Delighted Dovercourt traders have enjoyed a boost to business thanks to a major campaign to revitalise the town centre and secure its future.

Dovercourt is one of ten towns nationwide to receive a share of £7 million of government funding to rejuvenate its High Street and boost footfall.

A number of initiatives have been launched to make the town centre more vibrant and attractive with grant funding used to improve shopfronts and interiors, install new CCTV cameras to reduce anti-social behaviour and commission street light banners to give the town a distinctive branding and identity.

Shops which applied for grant funding to invest in improvements are already reaping the rewards.

Anne Catten, who has run Snip N Shape hair stylists in Dovercourt High Street since 1974, spent grant funds on a new hair washing area and modernising the toilet.

She added: “Having the funding has been hugely helpful. It has improved the comfort for the clients and also made it better for our staff. We have had lots of compliments from the customers for the work which has been done.”

Adrian Pitham-Cole has been running Deli 141 for eight years. The shop sells speciality foods and drinks and Mr Pitham-Cole said he liked the sense of community which is created in the High Street. He used grant funding to put new panel lights in the ceiling making it more cost effective.

He added: “They make the shop look brighter and nicer, making it a better environment for the customers.”

Shaz and Save general store used money from the fund to install a new glass canopy in the front of the shop while new lighting was installed at Turners along with repairs to the shutters.

Gemma Jacobs described the grant as a massive boost for her business, The Snug play café, where parents are able to meet for a cuppa and a chat while their children play with the toys.

Gemma said the money had been used to improve the outside area, pay for a new bespoke sign as well as extra tables and chairs and stable doors.

She added: “We would not have been able to make the improvements without the grant. Our customers have been delighted with the changes.”

Sue Quilter runs traditional sweet shop Short & Sweet and used the cash to replace ceiling tiles lighting, new rugs, flooring and shelving.

She said: “It makes the shop look so much nicer which has an impact on the High Street as a whole.

“There is a great sense of community in the High Street and everyone looks out for each other.”

The High Street Accelerator project in Dovercourt is run by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and is led by a forum of local partners chaired by Paul Milsom, owner of the Pier Hotel in Harwich, and supported by Tendring District Council.

Councillor Ivan Henderson, Tendring District Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “It is so gratifying to see the impact of the improvements to Dovercourt High Street.

“The town is lucky to have so many independent businesses, many of whom who have served the town for years. There is also a fantastic sense of community.

“It is wonderful to see how the money has boosted the town centre and made it a more attractive place to visit. It is fantastic to see these grants helping to make Dovercourt more attractive, helping people to take greater pride in where they live and encouraging visitors to stay longer.” High Street Accelerator programme funds will also be used to strengthen transport links between the seafront, the High Street and park spaces, while green spaces will be added to the town’s retail areas and access routes into the town centre.