Newsroom Archive

It comes after the Government announced these grants near the end of March and the Council has been supporting and assisting eligible businesses to apply for them.

This is in addition to a number of other support measures available for borough businesses, including the deferral of payment of business rates, all of which can be found on the Council’s Coronavirus webpage.

Grant support payments approved so far total over £14.1 million to 1,207 borough businesses, representing 84% of the applications the Council has so far received.

In total the Council expects that up to 2,400 businesses could apply for this and any business that has yet to can do so online at www.telford.gov.uk/businessgrants
 
The applications are being processed as quickly as possible with the team working long hours and over the weekend but the Council has to satisfy some verification requirements set by the Government.

Council Leader Shaun Davies said: “We are aware that borough businesses of every size are going through a very tough and difficult time.

“We are doing all we can, with our teams working during weekends as well to process grant applications as quickly as possible to get these payments to businesses, as we know this is desperately needed.

“We ask those businesses with outstanding grant applications to bear with us as we can’t give a definite timescale on when to expect a response to their application - verifying applications is a complex process that may require further information from businesses in some cases although we have simplified the application process as much as we can.

“We know this must be frustrating, but we will get back to each and every request as quickly as possible.

“In the meantime, we encourage all businesses to keep up-to-date with a range of local measures to support them as well as with the government measures, at www.telford.gov.uk/coronavirus”

Details about the Government grants available
Small Businesses – a grant of £10,000
• Business properties with a rateable value below £15,000 which are currently in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure businesses – a grant of either £10,000 or £25,000
Guidance issued on 30.03.20 has extended this grant to charities.
Properties with a rateable value below £51,000 in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector are entitled to claim a grant as follows:
• Properties with a rateable value below £15,000 are entitled to a grant of £10,000
• Properties with a rateable value over £15,000 but below £51,000 are entitled to a grant of £25,000

There are certain exclusions to the grant:
• Properties occupied for personal use such as private stables or moorings
• Car parks and parking spaces
• Businesses in liquidation or dissolved as at 11th March 2020
• Properties with a rateable value over £51,000