Council to implement new grants and relief measures to help District's businesses

Posted on 24 March 2020

South Holland District Council will introduce new additional measures to assist businesses in response to COVID-19, following the Chancellor's recent announcement.

These measures will provide a full 100% relief for eligible retail and leisure businesses, providing invaluable support to hundreds of businesses across the District.

The scheme has also been expanded to help a wider range of businesses in the area, including cinemas, music venues and hospitality and leisure properties such as museums, theatres gyms and hotels.

A £25,000 grant will also be available to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from smaller premises, with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000.

A special Pub Relief fund has also been introduced, which will see the Council provide relief to any public houses with a rateable value of under £100,000, providing them with an extra £5,000 discount for the next year.

The Council will also be offering Small Business Grant Funding to any organisations currently eligible for Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief. These one-off grants, worth up to £10,000, are designed to help small businesses cope with the extra pressures and changing conditions as a result of COVID-19.

Councillor Peter Coupland, South Holland District Council portfolio holder for finance, welcomed the new measures. He said of the move: "Businesses of all sectors and sizes help create crucial jobs and pay the salaries that allow our residents to put food on the table and keep other key services running.

"It is vital that this lifecycle continues throughout the current situation, and that businesses are given every chance to survive and return to doing what they're great at when things return to normal.

"As a council we remain committed to supporting the District's businesses and we want to encourage as many companies as possible to take advantage of every support opportunity that they are entitled to. I would urge everyone to check what they are eligible for."

Business Rates bills for 2020/21 will be updated and issued at the earliest opportunity. Grant money is due to be available from early April, and the Council will contact eligible businesses with more information on how to claim.

The Council want to make sure that every business in the District receives the support it is entitled to during this difficult period. To find out more about business rates and reductions in South Holland, visit www.sholland.gov.uk/businessrates.