Grantham: 'At-risk' shop fronts get £400,000 makeover

Historic England said it feared buildings like Westgate Hall in Grantham would be lost without intervention

More than £400,000 is being spent on restoring two landmark buildings in Lincolnshire as part of a scheme to protect "at-risk" architecture.

Westgate Hall in Grantham has been awarded £300,000 for refurbishment, with the former Burtons building on the High Street receiving £127,000.

The scheme is part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) programme.

Historic England said without the intervention of HSHAZ, the historic character of the shops would be lost.

Both shops are being regenerated with grants from Historic England and South Kesteven District Council, with 11 more projects planned.

The former Burtons store on Grantham High Street is one of 11 restoration projects set for completion by March 2024

Planners said the art-deco shop front of the former Burtons would be returned "as closely to the original 1930s design as possible".

Meanwhile, Westgate Hall, the biggest of the scheme's projects, was set to become a fine-dining restaurant, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The scheme was currently at maximum capacity, with a further 11 projects in development and set for completion by March 2024.

A report to South Kesteven District Council said Grantham's conservation area was considered at risk by Historic England and as such the body "was keen to support the High Street Heritage Action Zone" in the town.