Decision details

ARG funding - next steps

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report asking committee to consider the allocation of the second top-up of Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding.

 

Following the last meeting of this committee, the task and finish group comprising of councillors Atkinson, Peat, Bibby, Fletcher and Thompson had met to discuss potential options and were now making recommendations of how best to allocate the funding to assist businesses with their recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.

 

Three schemes were proposed –

 

·       Travel Agents - £1000 to those based at home and £5000 to those who have a business premises/shop and are registered for business rates in the Ribble Valley;

·       Business Recovery – businesses seeking to invest in their premises or facilities as a direct result of the pandemic who had not received a Restart Grant.

·       Business Growth – to support businesses in recovering from the impact of the pandemic and to support businesses in expanding and adapting their businesses to support long-term sustainability and the Council’s Climate Change Strategy.

 

A scale of eligible expenditure was outlined with the minimum expenditure being £5,000. The grant would provide up to 50% of any eligible expenditure with a maximum grant of £25,000. Eligible expenditure would count from 1 July 2021 for those businesses based in Ribble Valley who were trading on 1 April 2021 and registered for business rates.

 

Members were supportive of the recommendations made by the task and finish group.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.     Agree to providing an additional one-off fixed grant to Travel Agents in accordance with the report;

 

2.     Agree to the remainder of the additional restrictions grant being used to fund the Business Recovery grant and the Business Growth grant in accordance with the details in the report and the Grants Policy outlined;

 

3.     Delegate to the Director of Economic Development and Planning and the Director of Resources, in consultation with the ARG task and finish group, any minor amendments to the scheme that arise during the administration of the scheme.

 

Publication date: 15/11/2021

Date of decision: 09/11/2021

Decided at meeting: 09/11/2021 - Policy and Finance

Accompanying Documents: