Cheltenham Borough Council has launched its new Additional Restrictions Discretionary Grant (ARG) scheme to support local businesses and applications can be made until 10 March 2021.
This grant scheme is the second round of ARG support and includes businesses not eligible for the national schemes.
The scheme has been widened to increase the categories of local business that qualify.
They include Cheltenham based:-
· Bed and Breakfast premises which pay council tax instead of business rates
· Regular market/street traders who do not have their own business rates assessment (license from Cheltenham Borough Council)
· Hairdressers/beauticians/businesses providing personal care/wellbeing/in person training services that do not have their own business rates assessment
· Businesses in or supplying the retail, hospitality, leisure/tourism and events sector that do not have their own business rates assessment
· Certain food and beverage outlets
· Taxi drivers (licensed by and living in Cheltenham Borough)
Businesses must either have premises or other unavoidable fixed on-going business costs and have been severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Full eligibility criteria is listed on the council’s business grants pages.
Cllr Steve Jordan, cabinet member finance & assets, said: “Since March 2020, we have worked hard to swiftly pay grants to our local businesses. To date, we have paid over 6500 grants, worth £32m to businesses. We hope that even more businesses can now benefit from this local discretionary scheme, which provides some financial relief during a time of great uncertainty. I would also urge the government to expand income support to groups who have so far received none.”
Business ratepayers that have been severely impacted due to COVID-19 restrictions have been able to apply for financial support under the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) schemes.
The majority of rate-paying businesses eligible for grants up to 15 February have now been paid. Any businesses that haven’t applied should check the council’s business grants page.
Government has now confirmed that the LRSG scheme will be extended to 31 March. The business grants web page is currently being updated to reflect recent announcements
Marketing Cheltenham 