Issue - meetings

Since December 2020, the Council had been operating an Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme (approved by the Committee on 16^th December 2020) facilitated by an Officer/ Member advisory panel. That scheme closed on the 14^th February 2021, having dealt with 283 applications and approved grants totalling £278,400 to be allocated to businesses up until the end of the 2021/22 financial year.   

A new scheme had been launched on 8^th March 2021, based on government guidance; experience from the first scheme; and best practice from elsewhere. A report was submitted explaining that the decision to implement the new scheme had been undertaken by the Acting Chief Executive, in consultation with Group Leaders, under the urgency provisions of Standing Order 35, and subject to ratification by this Committee. The report advised that the new scheme was aimed at businesses:

• with relatively high ongoing fixed property-related costs

• demonstrating significant falls in income due to the Covid-19 crisis

• which occupy property with a rateable value or annual rent or annual mortgage payments

• trading on or before 4^th November 2020.

The qualifying criteria and levels of grant available were defined in five categories, ranging from micro-businesses to large enterprises with an annual rateable value over £51,000. The level of grant available had increased by 50%, i.e. £750 for micro-businesses to £4,500 for large businesses.

The criteria enabled discretion to award grants to non-Tandridge residents if they ran a business within the District and employed local residents. Micro-businesses, where an owner resides out of the District but is licenced by the Council (e.g. taxi drivers) may also be eligible if all criteria are met. Businesses were limited to one grant per premises in the District.

Members thanked the officers involved in the Covid grants process for their efforts in administering the schemes while maintaining critical, routine business and income functions. 

            R E S O L V E D– that the Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme, detailed at Appendix A to the report, be ratified.