'Neglected' heritage buildings get repairs funding

Burslem Indoor Market will receive £1m for renovation work

A former pub and indoor market are among the "neglected historic buildings" in the West Midlands that have received funding for repairs.

The Grade II-listed Burslem Indoor Market in Stoke-on-Trent has received £1m for renovations from Historic England, while the Golden Lion in Birmingham's Cannon Hill Park, also Grade II-listed, has been awarded £344,265.

Bromwich Manor House, one of only three Grade I-listed buildings in Sandwell, will get £200,000 and the Grade II-listed Bethesda Methodist Chapel in Stoke-on-Trent was awarded £521,737.

They were among 37 historical buildings and sites across England to receive a share of £15m from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.

Historic England said the sites were "at the heart of local communities", with many providing spaces for education, arts and local enterprise.

The funding scheme, run by the organisation in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, aims to prevent the "irreversible loss of England's built heritage".

The former Golden Lion in Birmingham is currently in a poor state of repair

Louise Brennan, of Historic England, said: "Thanks to the extra funding from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, we are able to breathe new life into neglected historic buildings that we haven't been able to help through our existing grant schemes."

She said the initiative would boost economic growth and also "create amazing opportunities" for people in some of England's most disadvantaged areas.

"We're thrilled to support projects that harness the power of heritage to make a real difference where it's needed most," she added.