Retailers are urged to avail of grants

Retailers in Naas are being encouraged to apply for grants to renovate their shopfronts.

Kildare County Council operates a shopfornt improvement scheme and some €150,000 was spent by the council on the scheme last year.

Jacqui McNabb, head of the County Kildare Local Enterprise Office, which is based at Aras Chill Dara, said the scheme means that the retailer can have 75% of the cost of the work paid for.

She told a meeting attended by lcoal business owners organised by the Naas Lions Club that the largest grant paid was for €9,000.

However local business owner Larry Swan said KCC need to provide more information about schemes like this. He also criticised the council for using archaic and out of date language in correspondence with ratepayers.