Local landmark reborn as business incubator thanks to £200k grant 

AN iconic institution in the heart of a South Lanarkshire community’s bustling high street is set for a striking comeback, thanks to a major investment from a leading renewable energy fund.  

A £200,000 grant from OnPath Energy has kickstarted ambitious redevelopment plans for the former Billy’s shop, a nostalgic mainstay for locals since the late 1960s and vacant since 2019. 

Led by Lesmahagow Development Trust (LDT), which acquired the shop building and two flats above as affordable housing, the project will see the shop, known locally as “Billy’s” reborn as a dynamic marketplace with four flexible stalls designed to spark local enterprise. 

The project was made possible through South Lanarkshire Council’s Renewable Energy Fund (REF), delivered with support from OnPath Energy’s Kype Muir Community Fund. Funds are part the OnPath Together development approach and commitment to supporting a just transition that is fair and inclusive for everyone by ensuring local communities benefit directly from nearby renewable developments. 

Ruairidh MacGlone, development officer at Lesmahagow Development Trust (LDT), said: “Billy’s was more than a shop, it was where you got your roll and square sausage and red cola, dropped off your laundry for dry cleaning, picked up a quarter of tablet, and was the place to find items you couldn’t find anywhere else, at affordable price.  

“It’s impossible to overstate what Billy’s meant to Lesmahagow’s community. Unfortunately, it’s taken a while to get to this stage, but, with both LDT and the community in Lesmahagow, it’s never been forgotten. 

Thanks to OnPath Energy’s funding, we’re not just restoring a building, we’re now able to take the initial steps to regenerating the main street, whilst maintaining one of our main objectives of providing facilities to the local community.”

Ruairidh MacGlone – Development Officer at Lesmahagow Development Trust (LDT)

“This will be a space where budding entrepreneurs, school pupils, and community creatives can take their first steps into business.” 

“We’re creating a unique ecosystem of support for enterprise, whether someone is growing fruit for jam to sell, crafting candles, or re-entering the workforce after some time away. Billy’s will be the shopfront to that ambition.” 

Originally opened in the late 1960s, Billy’s was fondly remembered as a one-stop shop where generations stocked up on everything from hardware to hot rolls.  

Billys operated as a “physical Amazon before Amazon,” the shop providing goods ranging all the way from pet food to roller skates, as well as everyday essentials, with the popular café section serving as a social hub for decades. 

Once complete, the building will house four market-style stalls, with a local butcher already confirmed as the anchor tenant.  

The revamp will be funded by a £200,000 grant from OnPath Energy, with the additional costs met by LDT. Works will include new flooring, plumbing, electrics, insulation, and the installation of an air-source heat pump. 

The remaining units will rotate regularly, offering short-term lets to local makers, school enterprises and start-ups eager to test products without the risks of a traditional lease. 

Councillor Robert Brown, Chair of the Enterprise Resources Committee at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “The Renewable Energy Fund is about more than just providing financial support – it’s about creating long-term benefits for local communities. 

“This funding will also help to reflect the past, evoking fond memories of Billy’s unique and much-loved store for generations of local people; it will, in the present, provide a valuable resource for the community; and it will help local entrepreneurs and small businesses step forward into their future.  

“This will bring benefits that will span time like few other projects can manage, and I am delighted to see it move forward.” 

Work on the site is set to get underway within weeks, after contractors are appointed to carry out a full internal and external renovation, including a full strip out and high-quality refit, transforming a traditional 19^th century building in the town centre of Lesmahagow. 

The refurbishment will begin soon, with work expected to be completed by year end, paving the way for trading to commence early in 2026. 

Aileen McCreadie, partnerships and community manager at OnPath Energy, said: “This is exactly the kind of project our renewable funding exists to support, one that empowers local people to realise their ambitions and revitalises rural economies from the ground up.  

“The transformation of Billy’s into a space where residents can test out business ideas, develop skills and build confidence is a powerful example of what’s possible when investment is rooted in community needs.  

“Whether it’s a pupil selling plum jam or a crafter launching their first product, this is about giving people a platform to grow, and that’s every bit as important as generating clean energy.” 

To learn more about OnPath Energy, please visit: https://www.onpathenergy.com/ 

To learn more about Lesmahagow Development Trust, please visit: https://www.lesmahagowdevtrust.com/