Businesses which fall outside the business rate system may qualify for coronavirus lockdown funding payouts in a new round of support released by Huntingdonshire District Council.

The money, designed to ease companies through financial problems caused by the pandemic, is aimed at businesses which cannot apply for the Government’s Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) because they are not part of the business rates system.

Leader of the council, Cllr Ryan Fuller, said: “We recognise the impact the ongoing restrictions are still having on how businesses can operate.

“Our local businesses across the district play a vital role in our local economy and now that we have the detail of the Prime Minister’s route out of lockdown, finding ways to continue to support our businesses through that process is a priority.”

Cllr Fuller added: “These first couple of months of 2021 have continued to impact businesses greatly, therefore we are committing to the release of additional vital funds to support them now that we have a firmer timetable of when restrictions may ease.

“We will also continue to develop new ways to support the viability and vibrancy of our Huntingdonshire economy as it seeks to recover through the coming year.”

The authority said supporting business remained a high priority and that the additional round of ARG payments would provide a further £4,000 grant to each local business that previously received £2,000 of ARG and ARGE funding when the scheme first launched at the end of 2020.

HDC will provide almost £1.6 million of additional grants to local businesses without them needing to reapply. It will deliver these payments to businesses which have already successfully received funds under the previous ARG and ARGE schemes and expects to begin making those payments in the first weeks of March.

In addition to providing further funds directly to previously successful applicants, the Additional Restrictions Grant–Extended Scheme will be reopened for new applications.

The authority is also working on creating a wider set of measures that will help build a sustained recovery of the local economy, using funds through 2021/22 within Government guidance and will talk to business organisations to establish a range of medium and longer-term support.

More information is available at: www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk and on the council’s social media channels.