Council officers are looking at ways they can use £5.4million to support more businesses that have been forced to close during the latest national lockdown.
The Government has given Milton Keynes Council the latest slab of money to make a discretionary grants scheme last into 2022 to cover any future periods of national lockdown.
There is also the possibility of another chunk of money being allocated to the city on Thursday if it is unfortunate enough to re-emerge from national restrictions into tiers two or three on December 3.
Council leader Cllr Pete Marland (Lab, Wolverton) formally took the decision to release the money at a delegated decisions meeting on Tuesday (November 24).
However it won’t be promoted until after the Government announces new regional tiers tomorrow (Thursday).
This is because the council could be in line for more help and the situation is already confusing enough, the meeting heard.
Opposition councillor Allan Rankine (Cons, Bletchley Park) welcomed the Government’s latest injection of cash.
“The economic consequences of this pandemic on local businesses and jobs is yet to be felt,” he said.
He asked whether any extra help could be made to businesses that qualified under existing schemes but remain in trouble.
He also wanted the council to encourage businesses to apply and avoid having any of the money left unspent.
Debra Collins, the council’s service delivery manager (revenues and benefits) told the meeting that the latest £5m windfall is “much in excess of what we anticipated we will need.”
She said: “There will be further decisions and discussions as to how that money will be allocated once we’ve got this initial phase out of the way.
“Whether we support those businesses that received money under the national scheme is certainly a possibility and something we could look into.”
The money is intended to support small firms that do not have a separate business rates bill, including those based in shared offices or other flexible workspaces.
Market traders are also covered as are bed and breakfast businesses that pay council tax instead of business rates.
The discretionary money is also available for properties occupied by charities and in receipt of charitable business rates.
It also includes those businesses that have been closed despite spending money on making premises covid safe.
There is more information on the Milton Keynes Council website here.
© MKFM News 2020
