Decision details

Members considered the COVID-19 update report presented by Councillor Boden.

Councillor Boden congratulated officers on the amount of work and dedication which they have shown over the last two months. He said they have gone above and beyond what is expected in order to meet many of the challenges faced and he could not speak highly enough of their effort and professionalism in doing so. 

In respect of business grant payments, Councillor Boden reported a slight update to the original report. A total of 1,448 business continuity grants totalling £16.175m have now been paid out to local businesses and a further 57 grant forms received are undergoing further verification. There are still a few businesses that may be eligible that have not yet applied but these are being actively pursued. The Council received from central Government an individual allocation of £21.796m, of which 74.12% has been paid out. 

Councillor Tierney said he had received a lot of feedback from local businesses who found the grants very helpful; a number had said they were pleased at the speed that the Council processed their grants and this had been vital for their ability to survive at this time. He had found when speaking to some other local businesses that if they had heard about the scheme they were unsure as to whether it was genuine, however he had been able to encourage some further businesses to apply. Councillor Boden thanked Councillor Tierney, adding that it was true that some felt it was a fraudulent attempt to gain information, or that they believed they would not qualify because they do not pay business rates, and others thought this was a loan that they would have to pay back; all three of these statements are false but the more we can get the message out, the better. 

Councillor Mrs French agreed with Councillor Tierney, some of the businesses she had contacted in March were unaware this is a grant and not a loan to be repaid; however it cannot be made any clearer and hopefully those she has spoken to will now apply. 

Councillor Mrs Laws also confirmed and reiterated what Councillor Tierney had said. She had received a number of calls from small local businesses; officers have reacted quickly within days of the applications being approved and this will help them, not all may survive but this gives them help and hope for a positive future in the coming weeks. Some have said they will be writing to the Council with their thanks. Councillor Boden thanked Councillor Mrs Laws.

Cabinet AGREED to note the content of the report.