Three years after its closure, Motherwell town centre once again has a post office, thanks to business support from North Lanarkshire Council and Business Gateway. The new branch, located on Brandon Parade East, officially opened its doors to the public, providing a wide range of services including cash withdrawals and deposits for personal and business customers, vehicle tax, foreign currency, Travel Money Card, bus pass applications, bill payments and top-ups, Drop & Go, Royal Mail, Parcelforce, DPD, and Amazon collections and deliveries.
Funding and Support from the Town Centre Retail Business Fund
The business owners, Hithendra Cheetirala and Venkata Sudheer Chatrathi, accessed support from the council’s Town Centre Retail Business Fund, which provides up to £20,000 of funding for retail units that have been vacant for at least three months. The scheme is funded through the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund and aims to address vacant town centre space, improve amenities, increase footfall, and help recreate vibrant town centres.
To apply, businesses must have a minimum lease term of 12 months for a retail unit in one of North Lanarkshire’s town centres. Landlords and businesses can apply for 50 per cent funding of eligible costs up to £20,000, applicable to vacant ground-floor units. The grant helped with infrastructure costs at the new Motherwell post office, including a new ceiling, LED lighting, installation of slatwall, Post Office and retail counters, provision of disability access, as well as the purchase of printers and photocopying facilities.
Jobs Created and Community Impact
This support enabled the owners to undertake the work sooner, allowing the business to open earlier than hoped. The return of a post office branch to Motherwell town centre has been warmly welcomed by residents and has seen the creation of four new jobs. North Lanarkshire Provost, Councillor Kenneth Duffy, visited the new post office and said: "It is great to see services and facilities that people regularly use and depend on, like the post office, being brought back to our town centres. I’m delighted that North Lanarkshire Council was able to support this new business that has created new jobs in the area and reinstated a service vital to many. The council has a range of support available to help new businesses to start and existing businesses to grow, as well as those looking to locate to the area. I would encourage people to get in touch to discuss the support and funding that could help."
UK Government Praise and Additional Funding
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said: "It’s fantastic to see Motherwell town centre post office reopen after three years. This is exactly the kind of practical, positive change the UK Government's Pride in Place Impact Fund is designed to deliver. In total, North Lanarkshire is receiving up to £41.5 million investment from our £492 million Pride in Place fund to tackle deprivation and revitalise communities across Scotland. By putting spending decisions in the hands of local people, we are helping to build stronger neighbourhoods that are great places to live, work and play."
As a new business, the owners were also able to access funding from the council’s Business Start Up Fund, which can provide funding of up to £3,000 to businesses about to start or those that have been operating for less than 12 months. The Town Centre Retail Business Fund and the Business Start-Up Fund are open for applications until December 18. To discuss a project and potential funding, contact Business Gateway Lanarkshire by calling 01698 520775 or emailing lanarkshire@bgateway.com.
