Financial support available for firms told to close through Covid restrictions

Southport BID is reminding local businesses that have been told they must close due to current Covid-19 restrictions that financial help is available for them. 

Many Southport firms, including much of the hospitality and retail sectors, currently have their doors closed after Government announcements designed to reduce the spread of Coronavirus. 

Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said that some business owners can seek financial support through the Government’s Local Restrictions Support Grant.

This helps businesses that have had to close due to the Government’s national lockdown from 5th November until 2nd December, or if your business has had to remain closed on a national basis since 23rd March.

Businesses in Southport and across the Liverpool City Region that were required to close under Tier 3 restrictions (including pubs not serving main meals, betting shops, casinos, adult gaming centres and soft play areas) from 14th October to 4th November will be entitled to a separate payment for that three week period and Sefton Council will consider this as part of your application.

Full details of eligibility and an application form can be found on Sefton Councils website at https://www.sefton.gov.uk/business/business-rates/covid-19-business-support-for-202021

At the moment only businesses that have been instructed to close can access this grant.

Other funding schemes announced by the Government such as the Additional Restrictions Grant have not yet been launched. 

As soon as these schemes are launched Southport BID will notify local businesses. 

Last month the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced a £40million Emergency Fund to support businesses in the Hospitality and Leisure Sectors. 

The first round opened on Friday 16th October 2020 and closed on Thursday 29 October 2020. This attracted scores of applications from firms in Southport, which are currently being processed. 

Another round of applications is scheduled to open at some point, with the news due to be shared by Southport BID. 

For more business advice and support please visit the Southport BID website here: southportbid.com

More details about the Local Restrictions Support Grant are here: 

Businesses subject to Tier 3 Local Restrictions (from 14 October 2020)

As a result of Tier 3 local restrictions being put in place to manage the spread of COVID19, the following business premises will be required to close:

• public houses and bars – unless they require customers to purchase a substantial meal alongside the purchase of alcohol
• soft play centres
• betting shops
• casinos
• adult gaming centres

A Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) will be available to eligible businesses for each complete two-week period that a premises is required to be closed following the implementation of localised restrictions.

Those businesses that have applied for the Local Restrictions Support Grant as a result of Tier 3 restrictions do not need to re-apply as a result of national restrictions.

Business subject to National Restrictions (from 5 November 2020)

To further reduce the spread of COVID 19, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close or restrict how they provide goods and services. These include:

• Non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, and market stalls selling non-essential goods. These venues can continue to be able to operate click-and-collect (where goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises) and delivery services
• Hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway (before 10pm; and not including alcohol), click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery
• Accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites. Except for specific circumstances, such as where these act as someone’s main residence, where they cannot return home, for homeless people, or where it is essential to stay there for work purposes
• Leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, golf courses, fitness and dance studios, climbing walls, archery, driving, and shooting ranges
• Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, soft play centres and areas, circuses, funfairs, zoos and other animal attractions, water parks, theme parks. Indoor attractions at botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must also close, though outdoor grounds of these premises can stay open
• Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. It is also prohibited to provide these services in other peoples’ homes
• Community centres and halls must close except for a limited number of exempt activities as set out below Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services – for example for people who do not have it at home – and for click-and-collect
• Places of worship, apart from for the purposes of independent prayer, and service broadcasting and funerals

These businesses and places will also be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities, including:

• education and training (including for schools to use sports and leisure facilities where that it is part of their normal provision)
• childcare purposes and supervised activities for children
• blood donation and food banks
• to provide medical treatment
• for elite sports persons (in indoor and outdoor sports facilities), professional dancers and choreographers (in fitness and dance studios)
• for training and rehearsal without an audience (in theatres and concert halls)
• for the purposes of professional film and TV filming

A Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) will be available to eligible businesses for the period of the national restrictions.

The level of grant paid will depend on the rateable value of the business premises.

Business subject to National Restrictions (from March 2020)

The Government has announced plans to provide support to businesses that have continued to be closed due to national restrictions implemented in March 2020, for example, nightclubs.

From the 1 November 2020 these businesses will be eligible to apply for the Local Restrictions Support Grant.

Eligibility criteria

1. A business was open and providing in-person services to customers prior to restrictions being applied
2. It is occupying a property appearing on the local rating list and is shown on the Council’s record as liable for Business Rates on the date restrictions were imposed.
3. It has been required to close for a consecutive period of no less than two weeks because of regulations made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984

Exclusions

Other businesses are permitted to stay open, following COVID-19 Secure guidelines and will not qualify for a grant under this scheme. This includes those providing essential goods or services, including:

• essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, hardware stores, building merchants and off-licences.
• Petrol Stations, car repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses.
• Banks, building societies, post offices, loan providers and money transfer businesses
• Funeral directors
• Launderettes and dry cleaners
• Medical and dental services
• Vets and pet shops
• Agricultural supplies shops
• Storage and distribution facilities
• Car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas.
• Outdoor playgrounds

A business will not qualify for a grant in the following circumstances:

• if it was in administration, insolvent or a striking off order was made at the time local restrictions started
• the period of the restriction is less than two weeks
• the business can continue to trade and is not required to close despite the restrictions, as it does not depend on providing direct in-person services from the business premises
• the business has only had a restriction placed on its opening times
• the business premises are located outside the restrictions area, as defined by Government
• it has chosen to, rather than has been required to, close
• it has already received grant payments that equal the maximum levels of state aid permitted under the de minimis limit or the Covid-19 Temporary State Aid Framework

How Much is the Grant?

How much a business receives will be calculated according to the rateable value of the business premises on the date that restrictions are imposed, but will also depend upon the length of time a business is required to remain closed. Retrospective adjustments to the Rating List are to be ignored for the purposes of determining a grant. It is expected that businesses will receive multiple payments while restrictions remain in place but will only be required to apply once.

Businesses are eligible for grants for each complete two-week cycle they remain closed. It is understood that in some cases, for example soft play centres, restrictions imposed result in some periods of less than two weeks in a cycle. The Council is awaiting more guidance from the Government. We will write to you and explain to you what payments you will receive when your application has been verified.

The basic grants are:-

• £667 for each complete two weeks where the rateable value of your premises is exactly £15,000 or lower.
• £1000 for each complete two weeks where the rateable value of your premises is between £15,001 and £51,999
• £1500 for each complete two weeks where the rateable value of your premises is exactly £51,000 or more.

If you do not occupy a business premises and subject to Business Rates you are not eligible to apply

How to Apply

If having read the criteria you think you are eligible for a grant you will need the following to complete the application online.

• The Business Rates account number and property reference from your bill. Please note that if you do not have your reference numbers we cannot provide them by telephone or e-mail. You can request a copy of your bill to be sent to the contact address we already have on record. This is for your own security to prevent fraud.
• Bank Details. This must be the bank account for the business not your personal bank account. The name you enter as the account holder must be that of the business account as shown on your bank statements.
• VAT Registration Number if VAT registered
• Companies Number if a Limited Company

If you think you will be eligible for a grant please complete the following online Restrictions Support Grant Application Form 

State Aid

The Local Restrictions Support Grant counts towards state aid limits.

Applicants are required to confirm that by accepting a grant, the business will not exceed the allowable limits of State Aid. 

Currently these limits are the de minimis limit of €200,000 of State Aid over a three-year period, or, if this limit is exceeded, €800,000 of State Aid permitted under the COVID-19 Temporary Framework, which imposes limitations and exceptions.

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