- Business Support Task Force
- Reopening the High Streets
Minutes:
Lorraine McQuillan, LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager provided an update relating to Business Support.
A Business Support Taskforce had been initiated in April 2020, as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This provided a partnership and business-led approach to supporting businesses through the immediate crisis, as well as the recovery of the local economy. Members of the taskforce included Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the South East London Chamber of Commerce (SELCC), London South East Colleges (LSEC) and Councillor Yvonne Bear in her role as Small Business Champion. The group had been instrumental in guiding the Council’s response to the pandemic – including setting up a Business Support helpline; establishing a mailbox to provide assistance to businesses; increased frequency of the Council’s business e-bulletin; and the website updated to create an online business hub. Members of the taskforce had also been involved in the project to reopen the High Streets.
The Business Support Taskforce was currently developing a recovery and resilience plan to provide support to business over the short, medium and long term. The group would be meeting the following day, and would be discussing their involvement in the new lockdown measures, which would be implemented from Thursday 5th November 2020.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Small Business Champion, advised Members that the group would be looking at the new financial support to be offered to businesses during the new period of lockdown. Further specific details were awaited, but as it was anticipated that there would be another round of grants, preparations were already being made to administer these and provide support to businesses as soon as possible.
The LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager informed Members that a number of measures had been implemented in the Borough’s town centres to encourage social distancing. These included floor stickers, signage and barriers to widen the pavements, which were continually being reviewed and monitored. An application had been made to the ‘Reopening High Streets Safely Fund’ to finance these measures, plus further measures such as providing business advice and replacing the red and white barriers with planters. In response to a question, the LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager said that from this fund, the Government had allocated up to £295k which Councils could apply for. This funding was to be used to implement measures allowing people to shop safely in town centres.
John Coupland, South East London Business Network (SELBN), enquired if any statistics or information had been published regarding the grants that had been distributed. The LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager emphasised that the final figures of the original business grant scheme were still being reconciled, but approximately £48m had been paid to 3,300 businesses in the Borough. There had also been a discretionary grant scheme, for which £2.275m had been distributed to 178 businesses. A news release relating to this had been published on the Council’s website.
John Coupland, South East London Business Network (SELBN), further noted that feedback received in relation to the discretionary grant scheme was that the initial guidelines were not written with small businesses, such as freelancers, in mind. It was queried if this would be incorporated in new guidelines for any future grants. The LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager highlighted that they were required to adhere to any guidance provided by the Government relating to the business grant scheme, and there were some elements of discretionary grants. Following the new lockdown, local grants would be issued, but guidance relating to these was still awaited. It was agreed that this could be discussed in further detail following the meeting.
(ACTION: LBB Head of Renewal / LBB Town Centres and BID Development Manager / John Coupland, South East London Business Network (SELBN))
The Chairman advised Members that following the initial lockdown, the Borough had carried out a number of checks on the businesses applying for grants. This had resulted in the grants being issued at a slower rate than some other Local Authorities, but had led to fewer fraudulent claims.
RESOLVED that the Business Support update be noted.