Barbers Beauty Paws opens in Waterlooville - the first of eight vacant shops scheme grant recipients to open

Steph Barber opened Barbers Beauty Paws in Wellington Way, Waterlooville in September becoming the first of the eight businesses awarded a grant in a vacant shop scheme to open. She has praised the Havant Borough Council scheme stating she wouldn't have been able to open without it.

While it is a new shop for Steph, she has been running the business for a number of years, initially becoming a dog groomer at Pets At Home six years ago before opening a salon in an out-building at home. The popularity of the service soon led to her outgrowing the small salon and looking for a shop in Waterlooville.

Steph said: “I went to view the unit at the beginning of the year initially but I had a lot going on at the time and I had to turn it down. Then I found out about the vacant shop scheme and it was really the only way that I would have been able to open it.

“We wouldn't be here without Havant Borough Council, I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. The scheme was absolutely brilliant and the plans for the town look great as well.

Work has been ongoing in Wellington Way since April with scaffolding only come down in front of the shop last week. The work has not affected business though. Steph said: “It’s been really busy. Now that the scaffolding is down and Wellington Way is starting to look a bit nicer it’s definitely bringing more people down and more people are wandering in.”

Working alongside Steph, she has rented two tables out to other dog groomers that she knows and they are looking forward to welcoming new customers. She said: “Pop in and say hello. It’s a great space and we have room to accommodate all types of dogs. We just love seeing people come in with their dogs so come and have a mooch and say hello.”