Help for Non-Rated Businesses
According to a press release issued by Hastings Borough Council (HBC) last week, it has received total funding under the government’s Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme (ARG) scheme since November last year amounting to over £2,676,000. This money is mainly for support of businesses that do not operate from rated premises and have for that reason received no help through other statutory grant schemes since the November lockdown. But HBC can allocate it among any businesses that have been able to show they were severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions without receiving adequate financial support.
A proportion of this funding (ARG Tranche 1) was paid out to local businesses to compensate for tiered restrictions during the four week period between 5th November and 2nd December, with a larger element allocated for the subsequent lockdown period (ARG Tranche 2).
An ARG grant can be claimed by a sole trader working from home as well as a business that shares commercial space
HBC has stated that, as at last week, they were still holding around £1.5m which was “available on a first come, first served basis”. However, provided that this sum has been fully allocated by 30th June, there will be additional funding for another round of grants (“ARG Tranche 3”).
Love Hastings Limited, representing businesses in Hastings Town Centre, has suggested to its members that any who have not received grant funding since last November may be eligible for a one-off payment of between £4,000 and £18,000. An ARG grant, they point out, can be claimed by a sole trader working from home as well as a business which shares commercial space. The business need not have been forced to close, nor (they say) is there any need to prove loss of income, though it must show serious impact from the pandemic.
Examples of such businesses are those within the leisure, retail, hospitality, events and tourism sectors or which supply goods and services to them.
Bed-and-breakfast providers and market traders are others who have suffered losses but may have been ineligible for other grants because they don’t operate from rated premises.
There is a link on the Love Hastings website to enable an ARG application. HBC must receive it duly completed by 30th June.
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