Rhayader businesses keen to enhance their shops have been invited to a meeting to see if they want to take part in a grant scheme

The scheme, if it goes ahead, would give local businesses the chance to apply for a grant of upto £20,000 to refurbish and enhance their shops.

The work could include repairing, repainting or replacing doors and windows, painting or re-coating facades, repairs to brickwork, masonry or timber, repair or replacement of awnings or shutters and repairs or replacement of signage, lighting or other fixtures.

The meeting will take place tonight (Tuesday, November 4) at 6.30pm at the St Johns Ambulance Base, Dark Lane Car Park.

It will gauge the level of interest in the scheme and if there is enough the town clerk will then collate the information from each business and submit a group funding bid for the town.

If the town decides to go ahead the grant application would come under the Transforming Towns grant fund.

Town clerk Mrs Julie Stephens said; “The Town Council believe a vibrant, attractive town centre benefits everyone, so we’re offering to submit a collective grant funding bid to Powys County Council on behalf of local business interested in participating in the scheme.”

There would need to be a group application with four or five businesses involved although there is no maximum number and the grant could be for upto £20,000 and it would cover 70 per cent of the costs of the work with the business owner paying for the remainder.

But the scheme would have to be managed by Rhayader Town Council.

Previously, town and county councillor Angela Davies said: “I think we have done it before and I think we should do it again. It is a difficult time for some of our small businesses and this would encourage them to do their shop windows and fronts.”

Deputy Mayor Councillor James Stuart said he thought the town council should do it too.

The town council would collate the information from the businesses and pass it onto the county council. The town council would also ask the relevant businesses to get quotes for the work they require.

If the county council agree to it, the town council would then put in the bid on behalf of all the businesses and if they got the go-ahead the businesses would have to pay the contractors and then claim the money back and Powys County Council would give the grant money to Rhayader Town Council for them to distribute it to the individual businesses.

Mrs Stephens said; “I think we would have to be really strict with the businesses. This is a two year grant scheme and it ends finally at the end of December 2026.”

A total of £4 million has been allocated towards town centre regeneration projects across Mid Wales (Powys and Ceredigion) over the next two years (2025-2027).

Welsh Government has made the award to Powys County Council, working in partnership with Ceredigion County Council, as part of its Transforming Towns programme.

Anyone unable to make the meeting but who would like to register an interest  email the Council at clerk@rhayader.gov.wales