Funding news

Oldham shopkeepers have started picking up paintbrushes and ordering new signs after the council split £266,000 between 25 town-centre businesses to freshen up their fronts. The grants, confirmed on 16 January, are the first slice of a wider £20 million package promised last March for culture, sport, housing and enterprise.

Council finance chiefs say the hand-outs are possible because the borough's budget is 'on the road to recovery' after 14 years of government cuts. The £20 million pot is being drawn down over several years; the shop-front scheme is simply the earliest residents can see on the street.

Each business has been told to use the cash for external improvements only, such as new signage, lighting or masonry repairs. Officers will inspect the work to ensure the money is not swallowed by stock or interior refits.

Separately, the council is installing free digital-help desks in libraries and community centres so residents who struggle with online forms can still book doctors, claim benefits or apply for jobs. The two projects are not linked, but together they signal an attempt to keep footfall and confidence in the town centre alive while more long-term schemes, including new housing and sports facilities, are planned.

No deadline has been set for the shop-front works, and the council has not published the full list of grant winners. Traders who missed this round are being told to watch for a possible second tranche, though no budget has yet been allocated.