Issue - meetings

The report provides the Executive Member for Finance & Performance and the Executive Member for Economy & Strategic Planning with details of the financial support provided by City of York Council (CYC) to business in York through all grants and reliefs during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Resolved:

i)             That the financial value and number of businesses supported by the council be noted.

ii)            That the speed and efficiency in distributing the support be noted.

iii)          That it be noted that the Government’s Small Business Grants (SBG) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grants (RHLG) closed for applications on 28 August 2020.

   Reason: To clearly set out the extent of the financial support provided by the council and the speed at which it was provided to businesses in York.

The Executive Member for Finance and Performance and the Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning considered a report that gave the details of the financial support provided by City of York Council (CYC) to businesses in York through all grants and business rate reliefs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Assistant Director of Customer and Digital Services was in attendance to provide an update and it was noted that the Government had sought to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on businesses through a mix of grants and business rate reliefs delivered at local level, which included:

•        Business rates discount of 100% for qualifying retail businesses.

•        Retail, hospitality and leisure grants.

•        Small business grant scheme.

The Assistant Director confirmed that the council was aware at an early stage that the Government schemes had some gaps, especially for micro businesses, so the council introduced its own Micro Grant scheme to support those businesses that had no Rateable Value and following a Government announcement on 1 May, a new discretionary grant scheme was introduced to support businesses who ‘fell through the cracks’ of the main grant scheme. This scheme superseded the councils own micro scheme as an enhanced micro grant scheme on 1 June 2020.

The Executive Members noted the various grants and business rate reliefs offered including the total number of businesses that had received an award and the total value of payments issued.

The Executive Members commended all officers for their response to the pandemic and for ensuring that all the resources provided by the Government and the council were issued rapidly and efficiently. It was confirmed that the council would continue to lobby central Government to make more funds available, particularly for those businesses that had not qualified for funding.

Resolved:

i)             That the financial value and number of businesses supported by the council be noted.

ii)            That the speed and efficiency in distributing the support be noted.

iii)          That it be noted that the Government’s Small Business Grants (SBG) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grants (RHLG) closed for applications on 28 August 2020.

   Reason: To clearly set out the extent of the financial support provided by the council and the speed at which it was provided to businesses in York.