MORE than £250,000 of funding has been approved for specialist heritage projects in Prescot town centre as part of regeneration plans.

Buildings on Eccleston Street and Leyland Street will be restored after grant applications totalling £261,000 were approved by the board of Prescot Townscape Heritage Initiative.

All five of the buildings will have traditional shop fronts and signage restored and three of the buildings will undergo a comprehensive programme of repair and restoration.

The work will be based on historic photos and original features will be reinstated as accurately as possible.

The buildings to be restored are 19, 54 and 56 Eccleston Street, home to Andrew Louis estate agency, Help the Aged and Max Spielmann. The building at 7 and 9 Leyland Street, home to Renaissance Skincare and Beauty, will have its original stained glass windows from 1908 restored.

Two more projects at 44 and 48 Eccleston Street, totalling £168,000 have been given outline grant approval (before detailed survey, designed work, planning permission, tendering for the work).

One of these buildings dates from the late 18th century and is one of the oldest buildings at the eastern end of Eccleston Street. Both will have a comprehensive scheme of repair and restoration based on historic photos.

Cllr Mike Murphy, Knowsley Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said: “I am delighted that these grants have been given the go ahead. The work already completed in Prescot has made a difference and is helping to improve the look of the town centre. It is great to see the town’s historic past being brought back to life and the quality of workmanship is excellent.”

Work is expected to begin in October/November 2015 and is due for completion in spring 2016. All businesses will remain open during the works.

The Prescot THI is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Knowsley Council, Knowsley Housing Trust and other partners. The partnership board is a voluntary group comprising of local business, heritage and public sector partners.

To date, outline grant applications have been approved for 15 buildings in Prescot Town Centre and eight of these have progressed to full grant approval. More than £500,000 of building grants have been allocated out of the £1.8 million THI building grants budget.