Decision details

633 - Additional Restrictions Grant Fund

Decision Maker: Chief Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Decisions set out in the book have been made under delegated powers by the Chief Executive, Executive Directors or the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, in consultation either with the relevant committee or Lead Councillor.
The Decision Book process has been altered to suspend the current Councillors’ call-in arrangements within the 10-day period after its publication and replace it with the ability during that period for three Councillors to request a retrospective review of the decision in writing to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.
The decision book can be accessed on the Council’s website – https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/mgListOfficerDecisions.aspx?bcr=1&BAM=0
The officer reports accompanying the decisions are attached.
Contact: Richard Woodford Committee Services
Tel: 0118 937 2332
e-mail: richard.woodford@reading.gov.uk


Decision:

This report sets out the decision to amend the Additional Restrictions Grant Fund Scheme.
It is the decision of the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council that an Additional Restrictions Grant Fund Scheme in respect of 3 priority business types and a hardship fund for businesses located in the Reading Borough meeting the following criteria is introduced:
- up to £6,000 per premises for non-essential retail businesses not in the rating system (as defined – Annex A)
- up to £18,000 per premises for hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses not in the rating system (as defined – Annex A)
- £5,000 to support individuals licenced in the Hackney Carriage and Driving Instructor professions that have not received support under any grant scheme administered by the Council
- A hardship’ fund for rate-paying and non rate-paying businesses who have not received support under any grant schemes administered by the Council and require support due to demonstrable financial vulnerability. Businesses will where appropriate need to demonstrate fixed building related costs outside of their residential property costs and provide significant evidence of financial vulnerability. In determining these applications, we will consider the impact that the failure of these businesses would have on the economic development of the borough and on the business rates revenue of the Council.
That a tiered payment approach is introduced as follows in respect of the 3 priority business types:
Non-essential retail businesses not in the rating list which can demonstrate fixed property costs (outside of normal residential property costs and staffing costs), aligning with the Restart Grant Scheme for those properties in the rating system:
- £2,667 with annual rental/mortgage value of £15,000 or under
- £4,000 with annual rental/mortgage value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000
- £6,000 with annual rental/mortgage value of exactly £51,000 or above

Non-essential retail businesses not in the rating list which can demonstrate other fixed costs (outside of normal residential property costs and staffing costs):
- £1,778 with fixed annual costs of £15,000 or under
- £2,666 with fixed annual costs of over £15,000 and less than £51,000
- £4,000 with fixed annual costs of exactly £51,000 or above
Hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses not in the rating system which can demonstrate fixed property costs (outside of normal residential property costs and staffing costs), aligning with the Restart Grant for those properties in the rating system:
- £8,000 with annual rental/mortgage value of £15,000 or under
- £12,000 with annual rental/mortgage value over £15,000 and less than £51,000
- £18,000 with annual rental/mortgage value of exactly £51,000 or above
Hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses not in the rating system which can demonstrate other fixed costs (outside of normal residential property costs and staffing costs):
- £5,333 with fixed annual costs of £15,000 or under
- £8,000 with fixed annual costs of over £15,000 and less than £51,000
- £12,000 with fixed annual costs of exactly £51,000 or above
Individuals licenced in the Taxi and Driving Instructor professions that have not received support under any grant scheme administered by the Council:
£5,000 Self-employed driving instructors resident in the Borough that can demonstrate fixed costs
£5,000 Self-employed licenced (by Reading) Hackney Carriage owners that are actively working the rank as at 1st April 2021 that can demonstrate fixed costs
That the level of individual award from the hardship fund will be determined on a case-by-case basis upon closure of a 1-week application window, to enable demand to be established and support to be awarded to the maximum number of eligible applicants. The application window may be extended should funding remain available.
That a 1-week application window will run from 31 May 2021 to 6 June 2021 inclusive.
That the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Lead Councillor for Corporate and Consumer Services, review the policy in June 2021. The Council reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria, and funding thresholds, as a result.

Publication date: 07/06/2021

Date of decision: 07/06/2021

Accompanying Documents: