An iconic institution in Lesmahagow's high street is set for a comeback, thanks to a £200,000 grant that will fund its redevelopment into a business incubator and community facility.

The funding, from OnPath Energy's Kype Muir Community Fund via South Lanarkshire Council's Renewable Energy Fund (REF), has kickstarted ambitious plans for the former 'Billy's' shop, which has been vacant since 2019.

Led by Lesmahagow Development Trust (LDT), which acquired the building and the two flats above, the project will see the shop—known locally as 'Billy's' — reborn as a dynamic marketplace with four flexible stalls designed to spark local enterprise.

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The £200,000 grant will fund a full internal and external renovation, including a full strip out and high-quality refit. Works will include new flooring, plumbing, electrics, insulation, and the installation of an air-source heat pump. The remaining costs will be met by LDT.

Ruairidh MacGlone, development officer at LDT, said: "Thanks to OnPath Energy's funding, we're not just restoring a building, we're now able to take the initial steps to regenerating the main street... This will be a space where budding entrepreneurs, school pupils, and community creatives can take their first steps into business."

The new marketplace will feature a local butcher as the anchor tenant, with the remaining units offering short-term, rotating lets for start-ups eager to test products without the risks of a traditional lease.

Work on the site is set to get underway within weeks, with completion expected by year end, paving the way for trading to commence in early 2026.

Image: Jim Hamilton, Heritage Society of Coalburn