Hull City Council is to distribute thousands of pounds in extra grant provision for pubs, cafes and restaurants after it was announced the city will remain under Tier 3 Covid-19 restrictions.
The support will see grants of £3,000 made available for hospitality venues required to close under the Government measures.
Councillor Daren Hale, Deputy Leader of Hull City Council, said: “We are well aware of the financial strain put on places within our hospitality sector. In response to this, given the importance of the hospitality sector within Hull, decisive action has been taken to support this sector.
“Covid-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the city’s economy and in particular the hospitality sector. We have limited discretionary funds to distribute to support businesses but we have committed to an additional £3,000 from the Government funded Additional Restrictions Grant to support the pubs, restaurants and cafes across the city.
“This additional grant will be paid out prior to Christmas to help businesses through what would usually have been the busiest time of the year for them.”
The Government announced an additional £1,000 for wet pubs – meaning pubs that do not serve food – though actual funding and details have not yet been received by local authorities. Those venues that do qualify for the £3,000 will include the £1,000 grant.
Businesses required to remain closed under the Tier 3 restrictions, and some leisure businesses which can reopen, will also receive further payments under the Local Restrictions Support Scheme.
Businesses that have already claimed a payment for the lockdown period from 5 November to 2 December 2020 will not need to reapply. All existing claims will be reassessed to determine their eligibility for a Tier 3 payment and payments made automatically into the bank account previously provided.
The council is aiming to complete this process before Christmas.
Claire Reading, development manager of the Federation of Small Businesses for South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and The Humber, said: “The announcements following the tier review this week impact further on our hospitality sector and the Christmas period is such a vital time for many.
“Lots of our pubs, restaurants and cafes would normally make between 20 and 25 per cent of their annual income during this time and, as this will not be the case for 2020, these additional funds will be welcome news. The council have been really keen to get all grant funding out to local businesses as quickly as possible and this grant being paid out automatically just before Christmas, comes at a time when it is needed the most.”
