Prescot stores to undergo restoration
Historic shop fronts on two streets in Prescot town centre will be restored in five separate projects due to share £250,000 from the national lottery’s Townscape Heritage Initiative.
The THI Partnership Board has given the go-ahead for five grant applications totalling £261,000 for restoration work to buildings on Eccleston Street and Leyland Street.
All five of the buildings will have traditional shop fronts and signage restored and three of the buildings will undergo a comprehensive programme of repair and restoration.
The work will be based on historic photos and original features will be reinstated as accurately as possible.
The buildings to be restored are 19, 54 and 56 Eccleston Street, home to Andrew Louis estate agency, Help the Aged and Max Spielmann. The building at 7 and 9 Leyland Street, home to Renaissance Skincare and Beauty, will have its original stained glass windows from 1908 restored.
Two more projects at 44 and 48 Eccleston Street totalling £168,000 have been given outline grant approval before detailed survey, designed work, planning permission, tendering for the work. One of these buildings dates from the late 18th Century and is one of the oldest buildings at the eastern end of Eccleston Street. Both of these buildings will have a comprehensive scheme of repair and restoration based on historic photos.
Cllr Mike Murphy, Knowsley cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: “The work already completed in Prescot has made a difference and is helping to improve the look of the town centre. It is great to see the town’s historic past being brought back to life and the quality of workmanship is excellent.”
Work is expected to begin in October or November 2015 and is due for completion in spring 2016. All businesses will remain open during the works.
The Prescot THI is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Knowsley Council, Knowsley Housing Trust and other partners. The THI Partnership Board is a voluntary group comprising of local business, heritage and public sector partners. To date, outline grant applications have been approved for 15 buildings in Prescot Town Centre and of these eight have progressed to full grant approval. Over £500,000 of building grants have been allocated out of the £1.8m THI building grants budget.
