The Government recently announced additional funding aimed at businesses who were not eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Fund to support these Businesses within the Rother District. The funding is limited (£1.476m).

The Government have asked that we prioritise businesses with fixed property-related costs which can demonstrate that they have suffered a significant fall in income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·         Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces which do not have their own business rates assessment.

·         Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment.

·         Bed & Breakfasts and Guest Houses which pay Council Tax instead of business rates.

·         Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.

The amount that eligible businesses will receive will be capped at £25,000 and it is more likely that lesser amounts will be awarded to enable the funding to go further.  See attached briefing note.

To implement the Local Authority Discretionary Business Grant Scheme from 1 June 2020 and to grant delegated authority to the Executive Directors to make minor amendments to the scheme in light of applications.  Following consultation with Members it was agreed to add self-contained holiday lets that are registered for Council Tax to the priority businesses identified in the scheme (note: those registered for business rates will be eligible for the Small Business Rate Relief or Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grant schemes).

Whilst ordinarily a new policy would have been a recommendation to Council, in accordance with the urgent decisions outside of the budget or policy framework, it is not practical to convene a quorate meeting of the Council within the timeframe and provided that the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is in agreement, this new policy will be agreed.