HALTON Borough Council has confirmed that grants of more than £20 million collectively have been paid to businesses in the borough.

The funding, from payment schemes issued by central Government and the Liverpool City Region, aim to enable businesses to continue to operate or stay closed due to coronavirus restrictions.

Grants have been delivered to the hospitality and leisure sectors, licensed taxi owners, self-employed people and local firms and shops.

The payments have been made over specific periods to ensure that as many businesses affected by the pandemic can still stay open or re-open once restrictions are lifted.

Examples of payments include 30 wet-led pubs – which cannot operate by selling volumes of food over 50 per cent – and 395 licensed Halton taxi drivers.

Payments have also been made to nearly 250 other specific businesses who have been affected by the new lockdown restrictions put in place for January.

Under the current schemes for the lockdown which started in January, businesses are eligible for the following:

  • Rateable value of £15,000 or under - £667 per fortnight plus an addition lump sum payment of £4,000
  • Rateable value of £15,001 - £50,999 - £1,000 per fortnight plus an additional lump sum of £6,000
  • Rateable value of £51,000 and above - £1500 per fortnight plus an additional lump sum of £9,000

Cllr Eddie Jones, executive board member for economic development, said: “We have been very busy ensuring that payments have been made to eligible businesses as soon as we can.

“We understand the financial pressures on firms and self-employed people, and we have tried to make sure that as many people are aware of the help available as possible.

“By using the grants from central Government and the Liverpool City Region, we hope that we have been able to support businesses to ensure their successful operation or return after the current restrictions are lifted.

“This not only includes large firms, but also the high street and self-employed people, who in some cases were missed during the first phase of payments due to the rules governing who was eligible.

“Be assured that as a council, we are doing everything we can to protect our local economy by trying to safeguard businesses and jobs right through to the end of this terrible pandemic.”

Further schemes and grants are available, with some ending soon, and new grants will be going live in the coming weeks.

If you need help, email business@halton.gov.uk or look at the schemes available now and in the future via hbcnewsroom.co.uk/coronaadvice/#business