Chris Clarkson MP for Heywood and Middleton has welcomed the news that Rochdale Council is now inviting cooperative businesses, social enterprises and businesses which supply solely the hospitality and leisure industry to make applications for a coronavirus government business grant.
Chris said: “I have been contacted by a number of local companies who fit these criteria but have so far been unable to apply for support. This news is especially good for those businesses which supply goods and services to the hospitality and leisure sector. These people have seen their businesses hit dramatically by the temporary closure of their customers, so it’s right that access to government support is being made available to them.”
Social enterprises and businesses which would like to apply can check whether they’re eligible and apply here: http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/coronavirus/Pages/business-top-up-grant-scheme.aspx
Applicants need to be able to demonstrate ongoing fixed property costs and a significant drop in income because of coronavirus as part of their application. Their rateable value must be below £51,000 and they cannot have already benefitted from a government coronavirus grant or the business rates holiday. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 3 July.
Government grants totalling over £40m have already been paid to 3,673 businesses across Rochdale borough and the MP has praised the council officers for the speed and effectiveness with which they have handled applications. Further funds were released last month which have seen over £1.1m has been paid out to a further 156 businesses in the borough, including B&B’s, market traders and those in multi-tenanted units and charities that the Government said should be prioritised.
Chris added: “I also wrote to Rochdale Council recently to request that any refused cases be revisited with a view to ensuring that no business which is eligible for support was allowed to ‘fall through the cracks’ I am reassured that in most cases businesses have been able to benefit from the wide range of support that the Chancellor has provided”.
