BUSINESS

Council leaders welcome £4.6bn lockdown grants to support businesses

Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to support them during the lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 to support them during the lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

The funding commitment follows Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement last night that these businesses will be closed until at least February half-term in order to help control coronavirus.

A further £594m is also being made available for local authorities and the devolved administrations to support other businesses not eligible for the grants that might be affected by the restrictions.

Chair of the Local Government Association's resources board, Cllr Richard Watts, welcomed the grants but said councils needed more details on how the schemes would work.

He added that the £594m should be kept under review to ensure it is enough to meet demand for support.

BUSINESS

Council leader: Legally challenging grant axing worthwhile

By Dan Peters | 28 February 2025

North Yorkshire Council’s legal action against the Government over a £14m funding cut could cost more than £250,000.

BUSINESS

Whole government response required to secure councils' finances

By Ann McGauran | 28 February 2025

Making councils financially sustainable requires a whole government response led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), says t...

BUSINESS

Goodbye to all that

By Martin Ford | 20 December 2024

Ann McGauran and Martin Ford take a look back at the highs and lows of a pacy and action-packed year for local government.

BUSINESS

Let the funding battle commence

By Paul Marinko | 02 December 2024

The Government’s latest policy statement signals its intent to address the sector’s funding imbalance and councils are beginning to sense who will be the win...

Popular articles by William Eichler