A business owner has sent out a plea for volunteers to help him apply to the Government-led Future High Street Fund, which supports and funds local areas’ plans to make their high streets and town centres fit for the future.

Paul Reach, who runs the Dartmouth Business News blog, asked the town council last week if it had any plans to apply for the Government-funded initiative.

Town mayor Rob Lyon suggested bringing the discussion to the council’s general purposes committee. Since then, Mr Reach has appealed to the people of Dartmouth to help him look further into this initiative.

Mr Reach said he thinks it is “important” that the town council gets behind this.

He produced a poll on his website asking people if they want to help Dartmouth achieve a major investment in its town centre.

At the time of writing, Mr Reach said he had six volunteers lined up who all run businesses, or are about to, in Dartmouth.

He added that he is looking for more business owners who can support the application and offer some time to help prepare it.

He is also looking for ideas from the whole community for investments that could be made to have an impact on the town centre’s economic health.

The Dartmouth Business News blogger said he has already been in contact with district and county councillor Jonathan Hawkins about preparing an application for the funding.

The Government website reads: “High streets lie at the heart of our communities and local economies, creating jobs, nurturing small businesses and injecting billions of pounds into our economy.

“But the way we shop and the way that communities use their high streets are changing: we are shopping more online, making fewer big shopping trips and shopping little and more often.

“This changes the nature of what makes a high street successful.

“The Government is committed to helping local high streets evolve and adapt to these changes.

“We want to encourage vibrant town centres where people live, shop, use services and spend their leisure time.

“The Future High Streets Fund will support and fund local areas’ plans to make their high streets and town centres fit for the future.”

In response to James Brokenshire MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, asking for these issues to be considered, the Government has allocated £675m to help local areas respond to these changes.

The Government is asking localities to provide proposals setting out the visions they want to achieve for the development of their high streets. There will be a competition for the actual funding.

Mr Reach is asking for anyone who is interested in getting involved in applying to secure this funding for Dartmouth to get in touch via [email protected].

A Dartmouth Town Council spokesman said DTC is still discussing its next step.