Issue - items at meetings - Tier 2 Local Restrictions Business Grant Scheme

This report will outline the proposed method of delivering the Tier 2 business grant scheme. The report will be published after Government guidance is released.

Resolved:

a) That approval be given to the distribution of the Tier 2 local restrictions grant in line with the Government principles set out at Annex A of the report.

b) That approval be given to the distribution of the Lockdown business grants in line with the Government principles set out in Annex A of the report.

c) That approval be given to the distribution of the Sector grants in line with the Government principles set out in Annex A of the report.

d) That a further report to be brought back to the next available decision session of the Executive Member for Finance & Performance, to approve a scheme for the discretionary funding provided as part of the Government Lockdown (in consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning).

e) That delegation for any future changes resulting from Government guidance in relation to this scheme be given to the Chief Finance Officer (s151) in consultation with the Executive Member Finance and Performance/Executive Member Economy & Strategic Planning, and approval process outlined at paragraph 17 of the report.

Reason: To provide urgent financial support to the city’s Hospitality and Leisure businesses who are most effected by the Tier 2 restrictions.

The Executive Member considered a report that set out the principles of the Local Restriction Grants (LRG) for Tier 2, and Sector and Lockdown for approval to support York businesses. The report recommended that a further report be brought back as soon as possible to a future meeting, with recommendations on how the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) provided as part of the Government’s covid-19 support can be used.

The Head of Customer and Exchequer Services reported that the council had received income of £4million and the government had indicated that this would be one off funding to potentially last 15 months. He noted that the information on the grants would be included on the COVID-19 pages on the council website. In response to questions from the Executive Member he confirmed that the Tier 2 grants would be superseded by the new lockdown grants. He added that there were different types of businesses eligible for the grant and the simplest way to ensure that the grants were paid to the right people was through the application process.

The Executive Member welcomed the grant and noted the importance of communications as an important and challenging approach to allocating the grants. He then: