A retail improvement scheme in Formartine, Aberdeenshire, is offering local businesses the chance to apply for funding to pay for improvement and enhancement works.

The £60,000 fund is intended to support private investment in retail premises and could go towards work such as the refurbishment of architectural features, shop window displays, buying specialist equipment or redecoration of the frontage.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available, provided they amount to a maximum of 50% of the total cost of the work.

Qualifying businesses are those based in the centres of Ellon, Turriff and Oldmeldrum, or in rural communities and villages in the Formartine area.

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Applications can be submitted to the Formartine Retail Improvement Scheme between 4 February and 30 April 2013.

Chair of the Formartine Area Committee, Councillor Rob Merson, said: "It is vital that we do as much as we can to protect local businesses in a time of changing trends which are affecting our town centres and villages.

"I hope this funding will go a long way to keeping our town and village centres popular with local people and visitors alike."

Committee vice-chair, Councillor Paul Johnston, said: "The Formartine Retail Improvement Scheme will help to ensure the sustainability of our communities, and encourage people to see our towns and villages as an attractive place to live, shop, work and invest."

The funding was secured from Aberdeenshire Council’s 2012/13 underspend, which saw £3m allocated to investment in towns and villages across the area.

Leader of the council, councillor Jim Gifford, said: "The council made a decision to use some of last year’s underspend to support towns and villages. This initiative will deliver exactly the kind of benefits that businesses told us they wanted to see, to help boost local economies and promote our towns."

(IT/GK)