Tendring District Council confident businesses will thrive after pandemic
The authority has approved 33 projects as part of its Back to Business programme
Tendring District Council is confident businesses will bounce back from the pandemic.
As part of its Back to Business programme, the authority approved 33 projects with a budget of £4.5 million last week.
It says it will help invest in the area and boost recovery from Covid-19.
The projects given the green light include £50,000 to support small businesses, £30,000 to help firms expand apprenticeship schemes, and a £250,000 transformation of Clacton Skate Park.
TDC is also looking to hand out further grants totaling £30,000 for mental health support groups.
Neil Stock OBE, leader of the authority, said: "Like everyone else we are not immune to the impacts of Covid-19, and the ambitious programme of projects we set out last year have in many cases been deferred.
"But we do not want to just pick up where we left off – we want to speed up delivery on projects which are still relevant to make up that lost time, and in many cases we have re-prioritised what we are doing to provide the biggest lever to success in as short a time as possible.
"On the roadmap to recovering from the pandemic, we want to create a downward slope so we can gather pace and success – not set ourselves an uphill struggle – and bounce back quickly.
"This is not just about us spending money, but also supporting the wider economy to flourish through a range of measures targeted at fuelling local businesses."
Deputy Leader Carlo Guglielmi added: "We are absolutely 100% committed to supporting our businesses because we've put our money where our mouth is. Hopefully there is enough diversity in our delivery plan that most people will benefit.
"And we do welcome anyone who has got an idea, please come and talk to us."