From today (Monday 16 November), businesses in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole who have been required to close as a result of the latest covid-19 lockdown restrictions may apply for a Local Restrictions Support Grant.
To be considered eligible businesses must have been open as usual before any restrictions were in place, provide services in person to customers from their premises and have been registered for business rates before 5 November 2020. Nightclubs and other venues that have been unable to reopen in any form since 23 March 2020 are also eligible.
Businesses must complete an online form to apply for the grant support. The grants are intended to cover the four-week lockdown period running from 5 November to 2 December. The amount of grant support that may be awarded is dependent on the rateable value of each business.
- Properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under – grants of £1,334 per four weeks of closure.
- Properties with a rateable value over £15,000 and below £51,000 – grants of £2,000 per four weeks of closure.
- Properties with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 and over – grants of £3,000 per four weeks of closure.
Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Economy, said:
“I am pleased to announce that the application process for our Local Restriction Support Grant scheme is now live and I encourage you to check your eligibility and apply as soon as possible to receive your share of this available funding.
“I hope this provides some relief to local businesses who have been forced to close over the last few weeks. We remain committed to doing everything we can to support our resilient and varied business community. This will include a continued focus in the months ahead on critical areas and other key sectors that are vitally important to the success of our local economy.’’
One of several national government grant support schemes, BCP Council has received £8.2 million in funding to administer Local Restriction Support Grants to local eligible businesses.
In addition to the Local Restrictions Support Grant, £7.9 million will be provided to the council to issue Additional Restrictions Grants up until 31 March 2022. This will include a discretionary scheme, with the details currently being considered. Once agreed the council intends to launch this second scheme as soon as possible.
Businesses can check their eligibility, fill out the online application form and apply for LRSG funding via the council’s website: bcpcouncil.gov.uk/LRSG