I am a great champion of our locals. I was pleased to have a discussion with them last week (Friday 27 November) about the issues they face as we enter Tier 2 restrictions next week.
I recognise that wet-led pubs will not be able to open as fully as those that serve meals under the high and very high alert tiers. Every business forced to close will receive grants of up to £3,000 a month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant and local authorities are being provided with a further £1.1 billion to support businesses in their area. Where businesses are not required to close but are severely affected by restrictions in tier 2 and tier 3 areas, local councils will receive funding to provide grants up to £2,100 for each 28-day period. The Prime Minister has also announced a one-off £1,000 grant for wet-led pubs in tier 2 and 3 areas.
I have produced a list of financial support measures that are available to pubs which can be viewed below.
List of Support Packages available for Pubs
To find a more general list of financial support that is available for small businesses, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder?priority-taxon=09944b84-02ba-4742-a696-9e562fc9b29d.
- For those who have not applied already, you can apply to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan.
- East Herts District Council also has a Pub Relief Fund that will provide a £1,000 discount to eligible pubs with a rateable value of up to £100,000. This pub relief will be in addition to retail relief, should you be eligible for this too.
- The Government announced that, under the Retail Discount Relief Scheme, eligible ratepayers will receive a 50% discount towards their final bill for 2020/21. You can apply for this on East Herts Council’s website.
- East Herts Council also has the discretion to award relief to certain ratepayers who are experiencing hardship.
- The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund is now closed. However, if you think you might be eligible but have not received a grant, contact EHDC via their website.
- The Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Visit Herts are working with hospitality venues to unlock between £2,000 and £5,000 in match funding, via the Hertfordshire Small Business Innovation Fund. You can apply for that one on Visit Herts’ Business website.
- Diageo have a “Raise the Bar” programme which has already provided £30 million to pubs nationwide, helping them to put in new Covid measures.