Grant aid for South West

Two schemes in the South West have been awarded English Heritage grants worth over £350,000.

Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire will benefit to the tune of £270,000 to help repair and restore it timber-framed buildings.

While Holyrood Street in Chard, Somerset will receive £96,000.

The money is part of the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme, designed to regenerate run down urban and rural areas.

Match funding

Dr Kevin Brown, director of English Heritage for the South West said: "The regeneration of disadvantaged historic towns and cities is at the forefront of English Heritage's priorities.

"These grants will benefit a wide range of communities and in each case, the local authority has identified what needs to be done to tackle problems in the area."

Further grants totalling an extra £600,000 are expected to be announced by the end of May.

English Heritage funds are conditional on match funding from local authorities.