Cheshire West and Chester Council co-ordinates government Restart Grants

Businesses in Cheshire West and Chester could be entitled to thousands of pounds worth of government grant funding to help get them back up and running as we move into recovery following the national lockdown.

The Restart Grant scheme, announced in the Chancellor’s Budget on 3 March 2021, will open on Thursday, 1 April. The Restart Grant scheme is for businesses that were forced to close during national lockdown and those that remained open. It is a one-off payment which will be distributed by the Council. Government guidance provides for two strands of business sector:

Strand 1 - Non Essential Businesses who could receive a grant of up to £6,000 based on their rateable value.
Strand 2 - Hospitality, Accommodation, Leisure, Personal care & Gyms/Sport who could receive a grant of up to £18,000 based on their rateable value.  
 
For those businesses that do not have a rateable value but fall into the business sectors in Strand 1 and Strand 2, the Council is reviewing its Additional Restrictions Grant scheme to ensure support is made available.

It is hoped that the Restart Grant scheme and new Additional Restrictions Grant scheme will go live on Thursday, 1 April with payments starting to be made after Easter.  Please be aware that all other schemes will close on 31 March 2021, including the existing Additional Restrictions Grant and even if you have received a grant before you will need to make a new application after 1 April 2021.   

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Director of Finance, Debbie Hall, said: “We have made the grant application process as simple as possible and our team has worked really hard to make sure that businesses receive their grant payments as fast as we can. 
“We are all looking forward to the easing of lockdown, the re-opening of our towns and city centre and the much-needed boost to our local economy this will bring.”

While the Council’s Director of Economy and Housing, Gemma Davies, added: “The business community in our borough has been incredibly resilient throughout the coronavirus pandemic and we have been doing all we can to support them.”
“Our borough has made great strides in reducing the number of Covid infections and this continues to be our top priority. The re-opening of our borough must be done cautiously and safely and the Restart Grant Scheme will help local businesses to do that.”

• You can find out more about the support available for businesses and apply for a Business Support Grant at: https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news-and-views/incidents/coronavirus-covid-19/business-information/businesses-and-employees.aspx