Businesses urged to apply for Restart Grants
Date Added: 08/04/2021
More businesses will be able to access further grant funding following the launch of our Restart Grant Scheme.
The Restart Grant Scheme enables rate-paying businesses, trading on 1 April 2021, to apply for a one-off payments to help them reopen safely.
Grants of up to £6,000 will be paid to non-essential retail businesses and grants of up to £18,000 will be allocated to hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses.
Only certain non-essential retail businesses are eligible for the grant. There are specific exclusions, including food retailers, garden centres, vehicle repair and MOT centres, laundrettes and dry cleaners. Businesses can view the full Government guidance including eligibility and exclusions on the Government website.
Businesses can apply for the Restart Grant Scheme via our website until 30 June 2021.
Green spaces = important places
The current pandemic has shown the importance of our countryside and other green spaces. We are responsible for managing 60 Central Bedfordshire sites varying from Dunstable Downs and Houghton Hall Park to small nature reserves. All are important for our health, wellbeing and for biodiversity, and many are local and can be walked or cycled to from villages and towns.
As we are all being asked to stay local then why not make use of your local green space for a quiet walk, a run, to take some pictures or to watch the birds. Now is a great time to recharge and renew ourselves using the power of nature.
To find out more, please visit the Countryside sites and to plan your route when walking or cycling, visit Travel Choices which gives you options for sustainable transport.
Consultation on proposed modifications to Local Plan
Residents are being invited to have their say on proposed modifications to Central Bedfordshire Council’s Local Plan during a six-week consultation. The consultation:
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outlines the strategy for ensuring growth
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ensures that growth is delivered with the supporting roads, schools and services such as health, as well as retail, leisure and community facilities
The consultation seeks your views and closes on 5 May.
Workplace testing programmes expands to offer free rapid home test
If you are a business with over 10 employees you can register with the Government for free rapid home testing for your employees. You must register interest by Monday, 12 April to to order coronavirus tests.
If you do not qualify for workplace testing, you and your employees can access free rapid testing through the Council by visiting one of their testing sites. Further details are on the council’s rapid testing webpage.
You can also view the list of Frequently Asked Questions for managing cases of COVID-19 in the workplace for businesses in Central Bedfordshire.
Stabilise your business and plan for future growth
Do you have aspirations to grow your business? Could you benefit from working with experts to explore opportunities and evaluate how to overcome challenges specific to your business?
Join Growth Curve, a programme set up for ambitious leaders like you. You will have access to free support from a Business Adviser and the opportunity to attend a university masterclass series and apply for a grant.
The masterclasses are an intensive course to strengthen leadership skills so you can set your organisation on track for attainable long-term growth.
Be ambitious. Be connected. BeCentralBedfordshire
website: www.becentralbedfordshire.co.uk
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