Private businesses getting grants from the Nelson Town Deal project are highlighted in a new council report, showing how a £2 million pot is being allocated so far.

Manufacturing equipment, factory and building improvements and green energy upgrades are among activities receiving or earmarked for grants. Benefits include job creation or safeguarding, according to the council report.

The grants are linked to the  wider Nelson Town Deal project, which has received £25m from the government’s Towns Fund. Nelson is one of 101 towns selected to test Town Deals. 

The future of Pendle Rise shopping mall and other town centre property ideas, plus education, skills and transport projects. are all linked to the Town Deal.

The £2m business grants project aims to help local firms and the wider economy.  It started in 2022 and runs until March 2026. It is run by a top Pendle Council economic officer, with the council and town deal board.

At first, only manufacturing firms could apply for grants. But the offer was extended to all business sectors by the board in late 2023.

The new financial year will be the last for allocating grants.

A council report says currently 38 businesses are targeted, receiving or earmarked for support. Targets include creating 165 jobs and safeguarding 335.  To date, 23 firms have been supported so far, creating 143 jobs and safeguarding 305.

For 2022-23, £448,000 in grants were paid to firms towards projects totalling nearly £1m. Many grants were around half the total cost of each project.

  • Carradice had £7,430 toward premises adaptation and moving. 
  • Buoyant had £100,000 towards solar panels.
  • The Furniture Company had £13,250 for a CNC machine. 
  • Agenda had £32,000 for a CAD table and concreting.
  • Aspire Oil had £17,000 for a press and pallet wrapping machine, 
  • Hartleys had £94,000 towards solar panels and new machines. 
  • Pennine Labels had £27,000 for a print machine. 
  • Concept Plastics had £18,000 for injection moulding machines.
  • Bright Engineering has £78,000 for a CNC lathe with cobot. 
  • Adpak had £60,000 towards solar panels.

For 2023-24, £511,000 has been allocated toward business projects totalling nearly £1.7m. 

  • Sovereign Group got £100,000 for solar panels,
  •  Hills Premier Polymers had £91,000 for pipe extruding machines.
  • Farmhouse Biscuits' £17,000 was for a chocolate room enclosure. 
  • Howorth Textiles got £50,000 for machinery,
  • Sugdens £15,000 for a mezzanine floor,
  • Vertex £5,000 for a tool store and cleaning equipment. 
  • Whyte & Ivory was allocated £20,000 for solar panels,
  • Straight Line Engineering will get £20,000 for CNC equipment. 
  • Precision Tube & Laser had £100,000 for CNC laser and tube bender machines, 
  • Clarkson Coatings got £59,000 for a laminator
  • Build A Kit will get £32,000 for a crane & CNC equipment.

Overall, 13 business buildings have received or are earmarked for greener ‘retrofit’ energy or insulation upgrades, meaning reduced emissions. Improvements have been done, or are planned, for 670 sq metres of commercial property floorspace. The target is 800 sq metres. Also relationships with business have been improved, the report adds.

The town board business community representatives are Dennis Mendoros, chair of Pendle Vision Board; Joel Rosenblatt. of Buoyant Upholstery and Lara Oddie, of Oddie’s Bakery. 

Other board members are independent chairman Stephen Barnes, a former Pendle Council chief executive, Conservative MP Andrew Stephenson plus county council, police, health and community representatives. There are also advisers from government departments.