New national business grants are being made available to support those affected by the recent lockdown period.   The two, new grants available are the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG (Closed) Addendum) and the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).  The government has once again asked district councils across Somerset, who are closest to their communities, to issue this funding.  Each local authority across the country has been awarded this additional funding as a one-off payment to support businesses through national lockdowns and any future tiered restrictions.

Staff at Sedgemoor are busy working together on guidance and a grant application process for local businesses in their area who have been required to close under the new restrictions. Once full details from government regarding eligibility and other criteria have been received, we will make an online application form available and further information and guidance will be provided.   Businesses are therefore advised to bookmark and keep checking SDC’s website for further updates over the coming days, as application processes and forms will going live shortly.   

You can find Sedgemoor’s Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Support for Businesses here: https://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/COVID19Biz

Government information can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-your-business-is-eligible-for-a-coronavirus-grant-due-to-national-restrictions-for-closed-businesses

The Local Restrictions Support Grant  (LRSG (Closed) Addendum) supports businesses that were open as usual, providing services in person to customers from their business premises, but which were then required by law to close for 28 days due to national lockdown restrictions imposed by government.   They include non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality businesses. A full list of businesses which must close by law is now available online.

During the period of 5th November to 2nd December 2020, a single grant to cover the 28 day period will be paid to each eligible business. The grant amounts will be fixed. Businesses with more than one qualifying property will receive more than one grant.

• If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, you will receive a cash grant of £1,334 per 28-day qualifying restriction period.
• If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of above £15,000 and below £51,000, you will receive a cash grant of £2,000 per 28-day qualifying period.
• If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you will receive a cash grant of £3,000 per 28-day qualifying period.

Grants will be based on the rateable value of the property on the first full day of the national lockdown restrictions. Once government guidance has been fully assessed, the district council’s will make an online application form available. Please check your district council website regularly.  Businesses are not automatically eligible for this grant just because they received a Small Business Grant last time. This grant is much more restrictive than before, as it is only for businesses legally obliged to close.

The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is available for non-business rate payers and business rate payers that have either been required to close by government during the lockdown period or have been severely impacted by the lockdown period but do not have to necessarily close.

Portfolio holder for Inward Investment and Growth, Cllr Gill Slocombe, said: “We understand this is once again an incredibly difficult and challenging time for our local businesses and we are pleased that we are able to help some of them with these grants. We do recognise that not every business will be eligible and that for some the grant may not go far enough but our officers are here to offer advice and support where they can so please keep in touch via our website and social media.”