This money will encourage effective partnerships between local authorities and small businesses so that repairs and restoration work can be carried out.

HLF’s regeneration advisor, Ben Greener, said: “Regeneration involves transforming places. Heritage is often central to this process, whether in the form of restoring a much-loved landmark or refurbishing boarded-up buildings. 

“We believe that historic townscapes are the beating heart of local places. Past research shows that even small changes, such as improving shop fronts or restoring a building’s historic features, can make a real difference.”

This investment will provide an economic boost and vital employment and training opportunities, from start-up spaces for small businesses to enhanced public places for residents and visitors. The uniting factor in all the schemes is that they are part of a wider strategy for improving the UK’s high streets and conservation areas.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said: “We know from the pride and enthusiasm that people have for their high streets that they are an essential part of many communities. Projects like these can bring enormous benefits to town centres and provide a catalysis for wider regeneration that creates more businesses and jobs.”

The successful projects are:

• Boston Townscape Heritage Project, East Midlands – earmarked grant of £1m, including £73,000 development funding
• Wisbech High Street Project, East of England – earmarked grant of £2m, including £108,600 development funding
• Barking Town Centre Conservation Area, London – earmarked grant of £1.4m, including £101,400 development funding
• NE1 Bigg Market Project - Giving a Historic Heart Back to Newcastle, North East - earmarked grant of £1.8m, including £202,800 development funding
• Skelton Villages Civic Pride Community-led Townscape Heritage, North East – earmarked grant of £1m, including £94,800 development funding
• Gladstone's View - Northgate Townscape Heritage Project, Blackburn, North West – earmarked grant of £1.5m, including £50,000 development funding
• Govan Cross Townscape Heritage Initiative, Scotland - earmarked grant of  £1.8m, including £50,000 development funding
• Fraserburgh Town Centre Heritage Regeneration Scheme, Scotland - earmarked grant of  £1.8m, including £58,000 development funding
• Paisley Town Centre Townscape Heritage Project, Scotland - earmarked grant of  £2m, including £113,300 development funding
• Holyhead Townscape Transformation, Wales - earmarked grant of £1.6m, including £39,000 development funding
• Dolgellau Townscape Heritage, Wales - earmarked grant of £1m, including £31,400 development funding
• Dudley Historic Core Townscape Heritage Scheme, West Midlands - earmarked grant of  £1.2m, including £44,000 development funding
• Bridlington Quay Townscape Heritage Initiative, Yorkshire - earmarked grant of  £981,500, including £50,700 development funding

About the Townscape Heritage project
Over the past 20 years, 251 townscape-focussed projects across the UK have benefited from £253m from HLF’s Townscape Heritage programme. This support has helped create attractive, vibrant places that people want to live, work and invest in. Examples of successful heritage-led high street regeneration projects can be found in: Far Gosford, Coventry; St George’s, Great Yarmouth; Bo’ness, Central Lowlands of Scotland; Denbigh, North Wales; and Whitechapel, London.

Notes to editors

• A 10-year longitudinal evaluation of the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) programme, the predecessor of the TH programme was concluded by Oxford Brookes University in 2010. The evaluation data provided HLF with a good understanding of the factors that are important in determining the success of townscape-focussed schemes, and was used in the development of the TH programme which was introduced in 2013.
• Funding awarded through the Townscape Heritage (TH) programme encourages partnerships of local organisations to carry out repairs and other essential works to a number of historic buildings, structures or spaces. Grants are available from £100,000 up to £2m. The next application deadline is 1 September 2015 with decisions being made in January 2016

Further information

Contact Katie Owen, HLF press office, on 020 7591 6036 or 07973 613820.