Extra support available for pandemic hit Central Bedfordshire businesses
It follows £2M of new Government funding
An extra £2M of Government funding means more cash is now available to support Central Bedfordshire businesses hit by the pandemic.
Central Bedfordshire Council has opened up another Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) window for applications after qualifying for the top up.
Executive member for corporate resources, Councillor David Shelvey (Conservative, Arlesey Ward), gave a Corporate Resources update to the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
He reminded the members that Central Beds Council originally had about £8.3 million of grant.
He said: “It was topped up during the year, and we were successful in distributing that to local businesses, which meant we qualified for a further £2.1 million – so we’ve opened a further window for one month and we’ve had about 300 applications.”
Councillor Gareth Mackey (Independent, Flitwick Ward) asked: “Can you tell us out of those 300 applications, are they all through the process of being assessed? How many have been rejected and broadly for what kind of reasons?
Councillor Shelvey replied that 170 grants have been awarded,
Gary Muskett, head of revenues & benefits, said: “There are a handful of cases left to assess. This is where we are awaiting further information, but we’re talking of less than half a dozen waiting to be assessed.
“The main reason for rejection is that the applicants have already received an additional restrictions grant,” he said.
Councillor Shelvey added: “We’ve also awarded about half a million pounds to small business development via various things, such as the University of Bedfordshire, and Cranfield University, etc.”
The council has until the end of the year to distribute the remaining grant funds, and a meeting has been arranged to work out the best way of distributing it.
“Because if we don’t, we have to give it back to the government,” Councillor Shelvey said.
He added that if this grant is not distributed in accordance with the government rules it could be clawed back from the council.