These are improvements to No 26 High Street (Marmaris take away), 8 John Street (Headcases hairdressers), 10 John Street (Caley Vape Shop), 12 John Street (K Electrics) and 2A The Square (the Corfu Take away).

The work involves providing new timber shop front fascias with brackets, cornices, and hand painted signage together with new timber shop fronts and doors where appropriate. They also include roof repairs to 2A The Square and replacement sash and case windows at 12 John Street.

The work will complement improvements already carried out at No 14-20 High Street 2, 4-6 John Street and 25-28 The Square.

To enable these to go ahead additional grants were obtained from Historic Environment Scotland and the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

The total value of the work amounts to £252,756 with the grants to the properties totalling £230,319.

The work has already started on 2A The Square and is due to finish in mid-May. The other schemes will start in 2 weeks’ time.

This now closes the building grant scheme for the project which is now in its 6th year having been granted a year’s extension due to the impact of the pandemic on the project programme.

Two other projects are still currently onsite, No 4 The Square and No 2 The Square, these are due to completed by the end of June.

The other remaining project to complete is the restoration of the Hearse House in St Mungo’s churchyard and the development of the Penicuik town centre Heritage Trail both of which are nearing completion with an opening planned in the summer.

Councillor Debbi McCall, Midlothian’s Provost and chair of the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration Project, said: “I am very pleased that we are able to secure the extra grant funds to complete these additional shop front improvement schemes as the work will significantly enhance the appearance of the High Street and John Street and will help to boost confidence in the town centre at a time when businesses are struggling to survive in a very difficult economic environment.

“We have achieved a great deal over the life of the project. Thirty eight building grants have now been awarded with a total value of £3,250,472.00 and grants totalling £2,167,154.00. Numerous community engagement events, training and education initiatives have also been delivered.”