Notice from Central Bedfordshire Council reads:
Business support grants
The application process for the Discretionary Grant Fund aimed at those small businesses and local charities not covered by previous schemes is now open We have had 178 apparently eligible applications so far, subject to due diligence. Applications close on Monday 22 June.
We’ve issued 3,173 Business Support Grants totalling £38,355,000, which is almost 84% of the allocation. However, we are aware many businesses have still not applied. Some, we are told, believe they will have to reimburse the payments. Although potentially liable to tax, they will not, they are grants, not loans.
Others may not have picked up the post from their business premises and often the business address is the only contact address we hold.
Oiling the wheels
As non-essential retail and some attractions re-opened, we have been offering practical advice on how they can do so, safely.
We’ve had over 500 contacts with local businesses about social distancing and health and safety measures and have carried out site visits to key attractions such as Woburn Safari Park.
There has also been a steady stream of enquiries from taxi drivers, pubs and street traders. These have ranged from queries about off sales (where you buy drinks from a pub to drink at home rather than a shop), to deferring payments as well as providing advice about screens in taxis, takeaways and drive-ins.
We will be moving licensing applications online as many outlets look to serve food and drink outside, as the Government has committed to streamline the process at pace.
A task group has now been set up with members drawn from Public Protection, Community Safety, Parking and Programmes and Business Support to deal with issues that arise with lockdown easing.