£575K funding boost for Melton borough businesses

More than half-a-million pounds has been made available to the Melton borough to support small businesses in shared office spaces, market traders and bed and breakfast establishments through the Covid-19 lockdown, but the council fears it may not be enough to help all who need it.
By Nick Rennie
Published 27th May 2020, 16:47 BST
Updated 27th May 2020, 16:57 BST
Latest news EMN-200527-164253001Latest news EMN-200527-164253001
Latest news EMN-200527-164253001

The government has given £575,000 as part of its Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund to Melton.

It was brought in to help those businesses which were not assisted through previous grant schemes for small businesses and those in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector.

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Melton Borough Council is tasked to allocate the new funding and the authority is asking businesses to only apply for the minimum amount they require to ensure more organisations can benefit.

Councillor Leigh Higgins, deputy leader of Melton Borough Council EMN-200527-111118001Councillor Leigh Higgins, deputy leader of Melton Borough Council EMN-200527-111118001
Councillor Leigh Higgins, deputy leader of Melton Borough Council EMN-200527-111118001

Deputy leader Cllr Leigh Higgins said: “Whilst we are pleased to receive this additional funding, we are conscious that it is not as much as we had hoped for so we will be limited in the amount of support we will be able to offer businesses that desperately need help at this time,

“We anticipate a high demand for this scheme, therefore, we are encouraging businesses to only apply for the minimum funding they require and are setting a maximum limit of £10,000.”

Among those businesses likely to benefit after being excluded from previous funding schemes are those operating at Pera Business Park and others trading at the Melton Livestock Market site, such as Round Corner Brewing.

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Regular market traders with fixed building costs, bed and breakfasts which pay Council Tax, charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief and retail, hospitality and leisure concerns not considered eligible for the other grants will also all be eligible to apply.

Councillor Higgins added: “We also want to encourage businesses to speak to their landlords to see if rent relief is available and make sure they have utilised the full suite of government support available to them during this period.

“This will enable us to support as many local businesses as we can with the funding we have, which we know is going to be a challenge.”

Applications can be made only until 11.59pm on Wednesday, June 10.

The council aims to make payments in the week beginning June 22.

Go online at www.melton.gov.uk/here4melton/topupgrantform to apply.

Related topics:MeltonMelton Borough CouncilCouncil Tax