Over £1 million in funding paid to Wiltshire businesses from Vacant Commercial Units Fund

Over £1 million in funding has now been paid out to businesses in Trowbridge from the council's Vacant Commercial Units Fund (VCUF), marking a key milestone in the scheme.

The grant scheme was created with the aim of transforming vacant units to support the improvement of Trowbridge town centre. Business owners, directors and landlords as well as commercial property owners were encouraged to submit applications designed to create a more diverse and sustainable mix of uses in the town.

Funding for the scheme comes from the Future High Streets Fund that was awarded to Trowbridge from central government. The Future High Streets Fund aims to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: We were delighted to receive a brilliant response from business and property owners with wonderful ideas and plans to transform Trowbridge town centre.

We have paid out more than £1 million in funding so far, which is an amazing milestone to reach! 8 previously vacant units have already opened, with businesses such as Finneys Hair, JEM Body Solutions and SILT (Sustainable Image Labs Trowbridge) now operating successfully in Trowbridge. 25 applications have been successful and approved in total, with our teams now working hard to finalise all the contracts on the latest projects. With the final amount of funding now allocated, we look forward to welcoming even more positive changes in the town this summer.

Our aim is to make Trowbridge town centre a more attractive place to visit, one which residents and visitors choose to visit to shop, relax and meet up with their friends and family. We hope that the support we've given to these businesses through the Vacant Commercial Units Fund (VCUF) will help provide a greater town centre experience for residents and visitors encouraging them to keep coming back, supporting business growth.

Kerryanne Hall, Owner of Finneys Hair, said, Finneys Hair is a professionally established hair salon that has been open for 18 years. The funding from Wiltshire Council and investments made by our business in 2023 have allowed us to be better positioned to enhance our services, expand our clientele, and employ new members of staff. We moved to a new premise in Trowbridge's main high street. The funding and investments have also gone into training and equipment. I want to thank Wiltshire Council once again for their ongoing support of local businesses. 

More information about the overall Future High Streets Fund programme and the Vacant Commercial Units Fund is available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fhsf-trowbridge