Riot business set to benefit from £2m in grant aid
BIRMINGHAM is to bid for up to £2m to help businesses recover from the effects of the city’s rioting and looting.
Birmingham City Council is to lodge a request with the £20m High Street Recovery fund, which was announced by Government following the disturbances.
Financial support will be provided to local businesses which suffered damage, loss or closure as result of the rioting.
The money will be allocated in two key areas, via Business Rate Hardship Relief and the Financial Recovery Scheme.
With the Government already proposing to offer up to 75% business rate relief to affected companies, the council will use a proportion of money through the BRHR to cover the remaining 25% for those eligible.
To be eligible, the business rate payer will have to show they suffered direct consequences as a result of the disturbances which would lead to hardship if the council did not provide relief on their usual business rates.
The Financial Recovery Scheme is open to small and medium sized business with less than 250 employees and a turnover below £11.2m per annum. It is designed to provide small grants to those directly affected by the disturbances to recoup costs incurred as a direct result, such as:
• Losses/replacement costs not covered by insurance policies
• Hire costs for temporary accommodation
• Clean-up costs
• Emergency repairs that were required to buildings, machinery or vehicles to make them safe or restore them to a usable state
• Additional staff costs incurred as a result of clean-up/emergency response
• Reinstatement of business records
• Structural surveys and associated professional costs arising due to any direct damage to buildings
• Security measures
• Costs of marketing activity to promote business recover
Cllr Tim Huxtable, cabinet member for Transport, Environment and Regeneration, said: “It is vital we do everything we can to get our businesses on the road to recovery.
“We are committed to providing ongoing support to those affected and will be producing a series of further bulletins to ensure business owners are kept fully informed of what support and help is available.”
Business wishing to find out more about the recovery scheme and how to bid for grants/rate relief should contact the city council on a dedicated phoneline set up to support businesses affected on 0121 464 8164.
The city was buoyed on Friday when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited some of the businesses affected by the rioting.
They also visited Winson Green to talk with family members of the three men – Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31- killed when they were struck by a car.
