Finance Secretary doubles funding for councils to respond to local needs
Payments to support businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic increased following the tightening of essential public health measures at Christmas.
New statistics show businesses have received £276 million through the Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF), the hospitality, leisure and retail top up payments and the Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund since November 2020.
A total of £244 million was paid by these three funds in January alone, including £4.7 million paid to taxi and private hire drivers in the first 10 days of claims. Statistics relating to other live funds will be published in due course.
Welcoming the figures, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes also confirmed that the Local Authority Discretionary Fund will be doubled to £120 million to allow councils to respond further to local economic pressures.
Ms Forbes said: “Since the start of the pandemic we’ve done everything in our power to protect people’s livelihoods with business support accounting for over a third of total COVID-19 spend. Today’s figures demonstrate how closely we are working with colleagues in local government to ensure businesses in Scotland get the help they need.
“We understand the concerns of businesses unable to access the Strategic Framework Business Fund and that is why we are doubling the Local Authority Discretionary Fund to £120 million. This will further enable councils to respond to local economic needs and support businesses in their area.”
The framework will guide the Council in distributing £2,796,150 from the Scottish Government for discretionary business grant funding.
To date, the Council has provided financial support to over 15,000 Edinburgh businesses in response to COVID-19, with funding in excess of £156 million since March 2020.
This newly approved ‘Discretionary Grant Fund’ will aim to assist businesses that have been without financial support since the introduction of Brake Restrictions and latterly Strategic Framework Restrictions in October and November 2020. Businesses will receive one off payment of £2,000. This will equate to approximately 1,400 businesses being supported.
Applications to the fund will open on a first come, first served basis on Wednesday 3 February 2021 at 8am.
The eligibility criteria have been designed to especially support applications from suppliers to those businesses that have been forced to close, businesses operating without rateable premises, and businesses that are deemed essential but who have lost their customers due to the restrictions imposed since October 2020.
Businesses can review the required here: full eligibility criteria and mandatory evidence . Due to the limited funding available, applications will be handled on a strictly first come, first served basis.
The fund will close when 1,500 applications have been received and reopen (with advance notice) once those applications have been assessed, assuming that they do not all meet the eligibility criteria.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “We know how important this fund is to businesses – in many instances it will be lifeline and as a committee we take that responsibility very seriously.
“It’s a finite pot of money so we’ve worked hard to make sure we get this right – targeting the fund towards the businesses that need it the most and trying to reach as many as possible.
“The fund is aimed at businesses who have been ineligible for other Scottish Government support and who’ve suffered significant losses as a result of restrictions brought in since October.
“We’ve consulted with partners like the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Chamber of Commerce who have been amazing at helping us to sense check our approach.
“They’ve shared their valuable knowledge and understanding of their members’ experiences to help us draft the best framework we think is possible in the circumstances. And we’ve had very useful consultations and input from other elected members.
Councillor Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice Convener said: “We’ve taken this report to a special committee so that we can start supporting those businesses in need as soon as possible. Sadly, there will still be small enterprises facing hardship who won’t get one of these grants.
“Further government discretionary grant funding for businesses, as announced yesterday by the Finance Secretary, should be released as quickly as possible so we can give them the assistance that they desperately need.”
“From Wednesday 3 February, businesses that fit the criteria agreed today can start to apply and we hope to be able to start making the first payments within a few days of that. We must stress that businesses will be allocated funding on a first come, first served basis.”
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000, the Chancellor has announced.
Chancellor announces one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the Spring
£594 million discretionary fund also made available to support other impacted businesses
comes in addition to £1.1 billion further discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities, Local Restriction Support Grants worth up to £3,000 a month and extension of furlough scheme
This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement last night that these business will be closed until at least February half-term in order to help control the virus, and, together with the wide range of existing support, provides them with certainty through the Spring period.
The cash is provided on a per-property basis to support businesses through the latest restrictions, and is expected to benefit over 600,000 business properties, worth £4 billion in total across all nations of the UK.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge – and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further.
“Throughout the pandemic we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the Spring.
“This will help businesses to get through the months ahead – and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen.”
A further £594 million is also being made available for Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to support other businesses not eligible for the grants, that might be affected by the restrictions. Businesses should apply to their Local Authorities.
The new one-off grants come in addition to billions of existing business support, including grants worth up to £3,000 for closed businesses, and up to £2,100 per month for impacted businesses once they reopen.
The government has also provided 100% business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, £1.1 billion existing discretionary funding for Local Authorities, the furlough scheme now extended to April and 100% government backed loans, extended until March.
Further information
the one-off top-ups will be granted to closed businesses as follows:
£4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or under
£6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
£9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000
business support is a devolved policy and therefore the responsibility of the devolved administrations, which will receive additional funding as a result of these announcements in the usual manner:
the Scottish Government will receive £375 million
the Welsh Government will receive £227 million
the Northern Ireland Executive will receive £127 million
this will contribute to the funding which has already been guaranteed by the UK Government, to continue to provide the devolved administrations the certainty they need to plan for their COVID-19 response in the months ahead
small businesses in the devolved administrations should also be able to benefit from other UK-wide measures in the government’s unprecedented package of support for business, including the various business lending schemes (where the repayment terms were made easier as part of the Winter Economy Plan), and the extension of the Self Employment Income Support Scheme
Action to ensure businesses across Scotland impacted by level 4 restrictions get additional and faster access to financial support have been announced by the Finance Secretary Kate Forbes.
This is in addition to the £570 million package of support, including the Strategic Framework Business Fund which has been open since November.
Businesses that are required to close or modify their operations by law can apply for a Temporary Closure Grant or a Business Restrictions Grant through their local authority website. Grants of up to £3,000 are available for every four weeks of restrictions, payable in arrears while restrictions last.
An additional £41 million will top up support for non-essential retail and gyms, which are required to close in level 4. This is in addition to top up grants for hospitality that were announced earlier this month.
Non-essential retail and gyms will be given up to an additional £3,000 and can claim this funding through their local authority website if they have not already submitted an application.
The cap on the maximum support available through the Strategic Framework Business Fund will also be lifted from 1 January for businesses that operate from multiple premises.
To accelerate the distribution of financial support, a further £7 million will help all local authorities recruit additional staff or backfill positions to meet increased demand for coronavirus (COVID-19) grants and speed up the payment process.
Ms Forbes said: “With mainland Scotland now entering level 4, the Strategic Framework Business Fund is already open to businesses required to close or modify their operations by law.
“In recognition of the substantial increase in the number of businesses eligible for support, I have provided additional financial resources of £7 million to local authorities to upscale operations and streamline grants. Work is already underway to ensure businesses get support as quickly as possible.
“I recently announced a top up grant to hospitality businesses, and today I can confirm that a further top up grant will be provided to non-essential retail businesses and gyms.
“Since March the Scottish Government has allocated more than £2.3 billion to business support and more than £1.2 billion to economic recovery.
“On top of the additional £570 million package of support announced at the start of this month, these changes will manage that increased demand, accelerating the grant application process and in turn getting these essential payments to businesses as quickly as possible.
“We welcome the news of further consequentials and will set out shortly how these will be utilised to meet the needs of business. It is likely that a significant amount will be used to meet the substantial increase in businesses applying to the Strategic Framework Business Fund at Level 4.”
Edinburgh College is providing businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians an opportunity to access training aimed at promoting positive mental health among all employees.
Recent research conducted by the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), published last week, shows that 50% of people with mental health problems have reported their mental health has been worse in the last few weeks than at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
And while this statistic cannot be solely attributed to the isolation caused by the mass shift to home and remote working, employers do have a responsibility to ensure their teams have a work environment which is healthy for all.
Indeed, a recent study carried out in the United States by FlexJobs and Mental Health America (MHA) found that 75% of workers have experienced burnout in 2020, with 40% citing it as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic with ongoing remote working appearing to be a contributing factor.
Edinburgh College’s Training and Development team is utilising financial support from the Scottish Government to offer free Mental Health and Resilience courses to businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians to support their employees’ mental health – both inside and outside of the workplace.
Through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, staff of all levels from firms of varying sizes can participate in courses including: Mental Health Awareness; Mental Health for Managers; Building Resilience; Understanding Depression and Anxiety, among many others. Bespoke training packages comprising elements from various courses can also be created to meet clients’ needs.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these courses would have been delivered on campus or at client offices, however the College’s Training and Development team has adapted to deliver courses via Zoom and Microsoft Teams – following the launch of its Virtual Professional Training Prospectus.
Edinburgh College has delivered 200 mental health training sessions in 2020. Since the start of term 2020/21 – August 2020 – 765 students have enrolled on mental health courses.
Edinburgh College Head of Commercial Jane Grant said: “Positive mental health is vital in all settings, including the workplace.
“Our team of expert trainers and lecturers are here to deliver training to support employers and employees in maintaining positive mental health across the organisation, particularly in the current times where teams and individuals are working in new and remote circumstances.”
Find out more about the Flexible Workforce Development Fund
Edinburgh College’s Training and Development team is holding an event to showcase the free training and development opportunities available to thousands of businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The virtual event will give businesses an introduction to the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) – a fund which apprenticeship levy-paying businesses across the public, private and third sectors, can access to secure a wide range of training courses to help them to upskill and reskill their staff.
The event, which is taking place online via Zoom, is being held on Tuesday 1 December 2020 from 8.30-9.15am.
The College’s Training and Development team will deliver a short presentation on the fund before engaging in a question and answer session. Delegates will also hear from Kelly Cunningham of East Lothian Care and Accommodation Project (ELCAP) who will talk about her experience of utilising the FWDF to upskill and reskill her team.
Through the FWDF, businesses can apply for varying levels of funding towards training for their employees – up to £15k for apprenticeship levy-payers, and up to £5k for SMEs. This funding can be used by businesses of all different types.
Register your place for the Virtual Flexible Workforce Development Fund event here:
LaunchMe, Scotland’s social enterprise accelerator has opened its sixth round of applications, looking for innovative social enterprises with the ambition to grow and achieve social impact at scale.
Delivered by social enterprise agency Firstport, LaunchMe supports social enterprises to grow by providing a comprehensive business support package, seed funding to get them investment ready and direct access to investor networks. Since 2014, the programme has helped 37 social enterprises to scale and increase their impact, 13 of them have gone on to raise over £1m of private investment.
Social enterprises, like most businesses, have suffered as a result of the pandemic. In Scotland, 97% of them reported negative impacts whilst experiencing a marked increase in the demand for their services at the same time. This is hardly surprising given that social enterprises operate in areas including mental health, social care, employability, and homelessness.
From providing emergency food aid and childcare to vulnerable children to mental health support and more, social enterprises have played a key role supporting the emergency and recovery efforts of the last six months. While the future remains uncertain and a recession looms, backing social enterprises with the potential to scale seems more critical than ever before.
One LaunchMe participant that is ready to step up to the challenge is Brave, Strong, Beautiful, CIC (BSB).
Founded by Edinburgh-based Kerry Anderson, it is the only hair and beauty salon in Scotland providing training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
Despite being forced to close during the national lockdown, BSB is now ready to scale and plans to open two more salons in the next 12 months to provide training, employment and mental health support to disadvantaged and vulnerable young people living in areas of deprivation. With the unemployment rate at its highest level in three years and young people being particularly affected by this, social enterprises such as BSB are needed to tackle the challenges ahead.
Kerry Anderson, founder of Brave, Strong, Beautiful, CIC, said: “I set up Brave Strong Beautiful because I became aware that some young people were being overlooked by society. I realised that the most vulnerable were struggling to find training and gain employment whilst dealing with difficult home lives.
“Coming from a challenging background myself, I understand first-hand the difficulties young people face. This is why I decided to use my skills as a hairdresser, employment development worker and counsellor to offer opportunities for young people to gain a trade skill in hairdressing, whilst also offering a support package so we can ensure they achieve success.”
Josiah Lockhart, Chief Executive of Firstport, said: “LaunchMe has a well-established track record of supporting scaleable social enterprises to grow and increase their social impact.
“As the effects of the pandemic and lockdown measures continue to take hold, we need strong, adaptable, and resilient social enterprises to rise to the challenge and create social impact at scale. Whilst the future is uncertain, LaunchMe is well placed to provide the support that social enterprises need right now to pursue and achieve their growth plans in the future.”
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell said: “The Scottish Government is delighted to continue to support the LaunchMe accelerator programme.
“The Scottish social enterprise sector has seen consistent growth over the past decade and we continue our partnership with Firstport. At a time of unparalleled challenges across society, the social enterprise sector remains at the forefront as we move forward towards recovery, and LaunchMe is well placed to support social entrepreneurs and social enterprises.”
Margaret McSporran, Head of Social Enterprise Development, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: “The additional challenges we have faced this year have shown just how vital social enterprises are to the Highlands and Islands economy and to community resilience, particularly in some of our most rural areas.
“We very much welcome this latest round of applications for LaunchMe and would encourage innovative and ambitious social enterprises to consider applying.”
Edinburgh businesses that have been affected by the current closures and restrictions can now apply for relief from the Coronavirus Restrictions Business Fund.
Businesses can apply for Scottish Government relief through Business Closure and Business Hardship Funds from 9am Tuesday 20 October
Scottish Government has made £40m available nationally to Scottish businesses impacted by the most recent set of restrictions that saw licensed premises close across Edinburgh
This follows the Scottish Government’s announcement on 9 October that £40m would be made available through one-off grants to support businesses directly impacted by the most recent set of restrictions.
Local businesses can apply online with the grants distributed by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Business Closure Fund is a grant of up to £3,000 available to hospitality and other eligible businesses required to close (except for takeaways) by these new regulations. Up to £1,500 is available to businesses that are able to remain open but have been significantly impacted by the restrictions through the Business Hardship Fund.
The first round of applications for both funds is open to hospitality businesses that are required to close or operate in a restricted way due to the regulations and are able to evidence a minimum 25% reduction in turnover during the brake period.
Scottish producers or wholesale businesses supplying primarily short-life goods or products to hospitality businesses and some gyms that can show the same reduction in turnover will also be able to apply for the Business Hardship Fund.
Retail and businesses that provide takeaway food as the core and established basis of their operations are not eligible for these closure or hardship funds.
The Scottish Government will also work with business and sector representative organisations to provide additional support through a new £11 million contingency fund for businesses that need support but do not qualify for either of the new Funds.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Our local businesses have been fantastic during the last seven months but there’s no getting away from how difficult this situation is and now more than ever it is imperative that we continue to support Edinburgh’s local traders.
“This funding is to help our businesses survive and to enable them to thrive when they’re able to trade again as normal. Our team are ready to process applications quickly to make sure businesses get this support as fast as possible.
“As well as helping our local businesses access the Scottish Government Funds, we’re looking at other actions we can take to build on the continued support we have been providing since the start of the lockdown.
“Again, I encourage everyone to support where they can: visit your local cafes and unlicensed premises, look out for your neighbours and continue to follow the public health guidance provided.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Edinburgh’s local economy has been hard hit and we need to do everything we can to support them during this incredibly difficult time.
“We are working with the Scottish Government to help our affected local businesses access the funding that has been made available to them and will continue working with them and other partners throughout our ongoing response to and recovery from Covid-19.
“We have to double down on our efforts to support local industries, businesses and jobs in the best way we can: by coming together as one Team Edinburgh and supporting our local businesses and communities.”
The Council has taken previous steps to promote a sustainable economic recovery and support small businesses throughout the pandemic, including:
Supporting businesses to gradually reopen safely with a ‘Ready, Set, Go’ advice service, including guidance provided to 20,000 business owners
A more flexible approach to licensing to help more businesses apply to use outdoor space
Accelerating plans to use the Council’s supply chains to better support local business and stimulate economic growth
Creating more space for people to travel to businesses safely and enjoyably through the Council’s Spaces for People initiative, with priority being given to support walking, cycling, wheelchair use and prams
Working with the Edinburgh Tourism and Action Group and other partners to support the #ForeverEdinburgh campaign which will gradually market the City as an attractive place for shopping, dining out and visiting with a £55,000 contribution from the Council.
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has outlined details of a £40 million fund to help businesses affected by temporary restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The COVID-19 Restrictions Fund will provide one-off grants of up to £3,000, depending on rateable value, to bars, restaurants and other businesses required to close by regulations.
A hardship fund with grants of up to £1,500 will support some businesses that remain open but are directly impacted by the restrictions, including those in the direct supply chains of firms that must close from tonight.
In addition, up to £9 million of funding will help with the costs of re-furloughing staff by supporting the 20% salary contribution required by the UK Government.
A discretionary fund of up to £11 million will help businesses that need support but don’t fall into the above categories. This will, for example, support soft play centres that have been unable to re-open this month.
The plan has been developed following discussions with business groups, trades unions and local authorities.
Ms Hyslop said: “The temporary restrictions announced by the First Minister are absolutely essential if we are to prevent a return to the dangerous level of infections that we experienced earlier this year.
“It is a difficult balance and we do not underestimate the challenge that these new measures present for businesses – particularly those in the hospitality sector.
“We have developed a funding plan which will help to protect jobs over the coming fortnight and I encourage business owners to apply for support.
“We are also committed to helping businesses meet their contribution to furlough costs, where staff have to be re-furloughed. We have increased the size of the grant available and are urgently identifying a mechanism to deliver additional support on top of that.
“While I welcome the UK Government’s plans to adapt the job retention scheme and the associated consequential funding, we still require clarity on what the Chancellor’s announcement will mean for Scotland.
“This situation further underlines the need for us to have the financial flexibility which would help us to rebuild our economy.”
Grants will be distributed by local authorities. Up to £2,000 will be payable to businesses with a rateable value of up to £51,000 that are required to close by law, for those with a rateable value of £51,001 or above the grant will be £3,000.
Ms Hislop’s announcement followed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement:
Job Support Scheme expanded to firms required to close due to Covid Restrictions
The UK government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions, the Chancellor announced today (Friday 9 October).
Job Support Scheme will be expanded to support businesses across the UK required to close their premises due to coronavirus restrictions
government will pay two thirds of employees’ salaries to protect jobs over the coming months
cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month
Under the expansion, firms whose premises are legally required to shut for some period over winter as part of local or national restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work – protecting jobs and enabling businesses to reopen quickly once restrictions are lifted.
The government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “Throughout the crisis the driving force of our economic policy has not changed.
“I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.
“The expansion of the Job Support Scheme will provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time.”
Under the scheme, employers will not be required to contribute towards wages and only asked to cover NICS and pension contributions, a very small proportion of overall employment costs. It is estimated that around half of potential claims are likely not to incur employer NICs or auto-enrolment pension contributions and so face no employer contribution.
Businesses will only be eligible to claim the grant while they are subject to restrictions and employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days.
The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January. In line with the rest of the JSS, payments to businesses will be made in arrears, via a HMRC claims service that will be available from early December. Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the CJRS.
The scheme is UK wide and the UK Government will work with the devolved administrations to ensure the scheme operates effectively across all four nations.
This comes alongside intensive engagement with local leaders today on potential measures are coming in their areas.
In addition to expansion of the JSS, the government is increasing the cash grants to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to support with fixed costs. These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks, compared to the up to £1,500 every three weeks which was available previously. This could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more.
The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from a £1.3 billion increase to their guaranteed funding for 2020-21 – allowing them to continue their response to Covid-19 including through similar measures if they wish.
These measures will sit alongside the original JSS – which is designed to support businesses that are facing low demand over the winter months – and the £1,000 Job Retention Bonus (JRB) which encourages employers to keep staff on payroll.
They build on the UK government’s wider package of unprecedented measures to help protect, create and support jobs through the pandemic, to ensure that nobody is left without hope or opportunity.
Welcoming the move, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The extension of the Chancellor’s Job Support Scheme is welcome news for businesses across Scotland, providing a vital safety net for companies which are asked to close temporarily.
“From the very start of the pandemic, the UK Government has focussed on stopping the spread of coronavirus and keeping people safe, while also doing everything we can to protect the economy.
“The unprecedented package of measures we have put in place to support all parts of the country shows the clear benefits for Scotland being part of a strong United Kingdom.”
Muckle Media, the creative PR agency, has announced a number of innovative support programmes to help businesses in Edinburgh use PR and marketing to support economic survival.
Three streams of activity will provide much needed support for Edinburgh businesses looking to reach more customers through creative communications campaigns.
£20k Muckle Helps grant fund
The £20,000 Muckle Helps grant is a 100% free pot of PR fee funding, which is open for applications today. Interested businesses can register their details here and provide a one sentence response explaining why they need PR support and what it would be used for.
Applications close on the 31st August at which point the Muckle Media team will select the businesses they feel they can have the most impact supporting.
The fund will support a total of eight campaigns. It is made up of three packages worth £5,000, with one each in the food and beverage, tourism and B2B services sectors and five packages worth £1,000 each which are open to any sector. Additional funding may become available to extend the programme and the agency is interested in hearing from any potential funders that may wish to sponsor or match-fund additional support.
PR Now, Pay Later
In recognition of the huge impact coronavirus has had on cashflow for businesses, Muckle Media is also taking the unprecedented step of offering ten-month payment terms on invoices on request, allowing businesses to access creative PR now that does not need to be paid for until June 2021.
This innovative programme will support seasonal businesses in particular, as they can benefit from marketing now to improve their business performance in the 2020 season, but not pay for it until profits are being made into the 2021 season.
Terms and conditions and guarantees may be required to access this option. The amount of funding available through the PR Now, Pay Later programme will be linked to Muckle Media’s business growth, with every £1,000 of new business won (on a pay now basis) unlocking £500 of pay later fund.
PR bootcamp
Finally, Muckle Media will be offering a ten-week PR bootcamp programme, aimed at PR professionals who would like to review and revise their strategic communications plans in light of the many changes facing the world.
Also open to out-of-work communications professionals looking to upskill, the ten-week bootcamp will follow Muckle Media’s ten step communications planning process and deliver weekly webinar content on topics including insights, strategy, planning and crisis management.
Weekly content will include guest speakers from across the industry and accompanying worksheets will allow participants to create a full strategic communications plan over the course of the ten weeks.
For those short on time or who are only particularly interested in one topic, there is also the option to opt into specific webinars rather than the full course.
Nathalie Agnew, Muckle Media Managing Director, said: “It’s a difficult time for the economy just now so we would like to do everything we can to help businesses to spring back.
“Effective PR and communications are key to cut through the noise and reach potential customers, so we hope that our three new initiatives will prove popular with businesses of all sizes in need of support.”
Council LeaderAdam McVey said: “As lockdown restrictions have eased allowing the reopening of outdoor areas for bars and restaurants, we’ve been speaking to individual businesses and local representative groups who’ve asked us for additional help in relation to the charges in place for tables and chairs permits to allow them to make sure that safe physical distances can be maintained when customers are visiting their premises.
“We’ve recognised that city centre businesses need support due to the absence of both office workers and visitors and this will take time to recover. There is an urgent need to support businesses in the immediate term and I’m delighted that Committee has agreed to support them by waiving these charges entirely during this very difficult trading time.
“This will not only help businesses expand their footprint to help improve trading viability but also help maintain the pedestrian space and access, particularly for families and people with mobility issues or sight impairment.”
Cammy Day Depute Leader said: “This is yet another move we can make which will make the coming weeks and months a little less challenging for businesses.
“For the local economy to recover, we also need to see greater footfall to small businesses and a new campaign will launch next week to draw residents and visitors back to their favourite places for shopping and visiting.
“This is alongside all of the steps we’ve already taken to support our high streets, like directing £112.5m to businesses in support grants and widening pavements and cycleways to make it easier and more enjoyable to visit town centres. It will also be supported by the local Champions Network which we’re setting up to provide us with a direct link to businesses, so that we can monitor the challenges they face and the help they need.”
Businesses will still be required to apply for tables and chairs permits, and the standard conditions will need to be met, however, there will be no charge for the time period 1 July to 31 October.
Any business which has already paid for a permit will receive a refund for any payment made for this time period.
Tables and chairs permits allow anyone who sells food or drink to put tables and chairs on a public pavement between 9am and 9pm, seven days per week
