Heritage works completed at historic Wisbech building

 

 

Top - The Hearing Aid Centre in Wisbech High Street after improvement works were carried out. Bottom - before works were carried out.

An historic Wisbech High Street building has been sympathetically restored thanks to a grant made possible by National Lottery players.

Steve Mantle, who owns The Hearing Centre at 31 High Street, Wisbech, secured funding through Fenland District Council’s Wisbech High Street Project to help him carry out improvements to the property.

Other works are ongoing through the project, which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Townscape Heritage scheme. The project aims to help preserve and protect the High Street’s built heritage and bring new life to some of its most historic buildings.

The grant helped Mr Mantle to carry out a number of regeneration works to No 31, improving its character and appearance in line with the local conservation area.

Works, which were completed this month, included the replacement of historic sash windows, new and improved shop signage, and sympathetic repair and redecoration of the historic shopfront.

Mr Mantle, who has owned the family-run Hearing Centre since 2008, said he was delighted to have had the opportunity to restore his property through the Wisbech High Street Project.

“The shopfront was getting very old and tired, and I’d been wanting to do something to it for a while,” he said. “I really liked the look of buildings with traditional features and thought it would be great to bring that tradition back to the property and play a part in restoring the High Street’s heritage too.

“With the support of the Wisbech High Street Project, we’ve been able to carry out a number of improvements which not only look great but will also help preserve the building for years to come.”

Cllr Chris Seaton, the Council’s Cabinet member for Social Mobility and Heritage, said: “It’s wonderful to see another grant from the Wisbech High Street Project being used to bring an historic building back to its former glory.

“The grants awarded through the project have made a real difference to how a number of properties on Wisbech High Street look, and I’m grateful for the cooperation and input from the property owners, without whom, we couldn’t do any of this work.”