Grant aid supports thousands of Covid-hit west Cheshire businesses

Cheshire West and Chester Council has distributed more than £62m in grants to support businesses in the borough impacted by coronavirus restrictions since last October.

The authority has made more than 24,000 individual grants to businesses during that time.

The Council team has coordinated over 10 different grant schemes for businesses since the start of the pandemic, including the Restart Grant Scheme, introduced from April 2021, and an Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) policy. The ARG scheme closed to applications on 31 May 2021.  

Over the last two weeks more than £800,000 has been paid out to businesses from these funding streams. The Council has confirmed all payments are being made as fast as possible. 

The Restart Grant scheme remains open until 30 June 2021 and is aimed at both businesses who have reopened or who have remained open during the last lockdown.

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Carol Gahan, said: “Our team have undertaken an unprecedented task since the start of the pandemic. They created a simple application process for what has been a complex set of grants and are now working through the outstanding applications.” 

“The government set the rules nationally for the distribution of the grant funding. The team has done a tremendous job in interpreting the strict guidelines imposed on this funding and working with our business to community to ensure applications were processed as quickly as possible and people received the support they were entitled to.”

“The borough’s business community has worked hard to maintain the Covid rules and regulations throughout the various phases of this pandemic and continues to do so. Please remember that COVID-19 is still with us and rates are starting to increase again. We are in a far better position than last summer, but we can all help to keep businesses open by taking up the offer to be vaccinated, having regular tests, and maintaining hands, face, space and fresh air.” 

For more information about the Covid support available for businesses in Cheshire West and Chester visit:

https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news-and-views/incidents/coronavirus-covid-19/business-information/businesses-and-employees.aspx