More than £1bn in Covid support for Notts to manage pandemic

Nottinghamshire Council data shows the Government has provided hundreds of millions of pounds in various grants and loans, aimed at keeping struggling businesses afloat during the crisis.

Loans totalling £566,475,877 were offered to businesses disrupted by lockdowns, including almost £400 million from the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

People eligible for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme also received a total of £202.4m, spread across three separate windows.

And 571 of the county’s struggling restaurants took advantage of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, in August 2020, when meals were subsidised by 50 per cent at the expense of the Treasury – this amounted to almost £5 million in discounted meals across the promotional period.

The figures came as part of an assessment by the council’s economic development committee, when councillors viewed the support package provided to ailing traders.

Documents confirmed grants totalling more than £140m were distributed to district and borough councils, before being issued to eligible retail, hospitality, leisure and small businesses.

A further £7.9m was provided to small and micro businesses not eligible for either the Small Business Grant, or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant.

And an additional £56m was issued to businesses either forced to close, or disrupted by lockdown measures.

‘Commendable work’

The county’s seven district and borough councils received extra support totalling £21.9m.

Coun John Wilmott said: “All the businesses I’ve talked to have been grateful for the work the county and district councils have done.

“It’s commendable and they say they’re grateful, but, of course, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown up a lot of challenges.

“[The data] outlines the significant support given to businesses across the county, but the question is, do we have any figures on how many businesses in Nottinghamshire didn’t make it past the pandemic?”

Matt Neal, service director for investment and growth, said: “We do measure the performance in terms of contacts with local businesses.

“In terms of figures around businesses that have not made it through the pandemic, I haven’t got those figures to hand, but I can certainly bring something back.”

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