West Berkshire Council: Support for West Berkshire businesses during period of new national restrictions

On 31 October the government announced that new national restrictions would be in force across England from 5 November to 2 December. Details of the planned restrictions can be found on the government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november

Speaking about the announcement, Councillor Lynne Doherty, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said:

“Local businesses were among the most impacted by the lockdown earlier this year and we understand that although vital to keep the public safe, these new restrictions will be very difficult for them. We want to reassure them that we stand ready to support them where we can throughout this period.

“Two new government grants will be made available to support those businesses who have been most affected: one for those who have been required to close and another for those who remain open but are suffering particular hardship. As soon as we have finalised how they will administered, we will work quickly to get them out to those who need them, as we did earlier in the year. We would also encourage any firm experiencing difficulty in paying their business rates to get in touch with us on businessrates@westberks.gov.uk and we will exercise flexibility with payments where we can.

“The new guidance does allow businesses to offer takeaways, deliveries and click and collect so even though it’s not possible to visit non-essential businesses in person, I would encourage residents to support their favourite local shops, cafes and restaurants by shopping with them online.

“Our Public Protection Partnership, Public Health and Economic Development Teams are available to offer advice about the guidance and what this means for individual businesses. Please get in touch if you or your business needs our support.”