Businesses and landowners are being encouraged to apply for millions of pounds in grant funding to help renovate historic buildings.

The Burslem Townscape Heritage Initiative aims to transform the appearance of Stoke-on-Trent’s Mother Town by 2012.

Under the scheme, owners of prominent, historic or architecturally significant buildings in the town centre can secure funding towards the cost of repairs and renovation work.

The £4 million initiative is being delivered jointly by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership, Advantage West Midlands and the Burslem Regeneration Company.

Building owners or leaseholders who qualify for the grants can get funding to cover 90 per cent of the cost of reinstating missing or damaged architectural features, such as ornate windows.

External building repairs attract 60 per cent grants, while work to bring disused buildings or floorspace back into use will be half funded by heritage initiative cash.

The first phase of the scheme was launched in 2000, when more than £4 million was invested in high-profile projects such as the refurbishment of the Burslem School of Art, in Queen Street, and the Live/Work scheme for small creative enterprises.

Burslem regeneration manager Julian Read said the grant aid would be vital to persuade businesses to invest more money in their premises.

“Initially, the scheme wasn’t creating the success that we needed and I think people were a bit sceptical about it,” he said.

“Many retailers in the area are already struggling quite badly, and we were asking them to spend tens of thousands of pounds on refurbishing their buildings.

“But the grant scheme offers up to 90 per cent investment for regeneration work.

“We have been out and spoken to virtually every local retailer and business within the conservation area and I think we have created quite a bit of interest.

He added: “Profitability isn’t great for many of the firms involved, but the scheme is now moving forward and people are getting more involved in it.”

Local councillor and Burslem Regeneration Company board member Joy Garner said the success of the scheme was vital to the town centre’s future prosperity.

“We have got to break the cycle of decline because if the town centre looks tacky and horrible then people won’t want to come here to spend their money and there is going to be even further decline,” she said.

The grant scheme is available to landowners and leaseholders of properties within the town centre conservation area bordered by Market Place, Wedgwood Street, Swan Square and Queen Street.

For more information about the initiative, contact the Burslem Regeneration Company on 01782 232522.