Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector) application information
Richmondshire District Council are administering the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector) for businesses in our district on behalf of the government.
Some types of businesses were required to closed from 23 March 2020 and have not been able to re-open since; this includes nightclubs, dance halls and discotheques, adult entertainment venues and hostess bars.
From 2 December, grant payments will again be available to businesses that were mandated to close from 23 March 2020 and have been unable to reopen since. Grants were initially payable from 1 November until 4 November 2020, after which these businesses became eligible for national lockdown grant funding.
Businesses must have been trading on 2 March 2020 to be eligible to receive a grant payment. If the businesses in this category have repurposed their business and have been able to re-open as a result, they will have no entitlement to this grant. For example, if a nightclub has been repurposed as a bar; a grant payment will only be made for each full 14-day period that eligible businesses are mandated to close from 2 December 2020.
From 2 December, such businesses will be paid grants for every 14-day qualifying period they have to remain closed, with the amount payable being dependent on the rateable value of the business premises.
The value of the payment will be dependent on the rateable value of the property
i. Eligible businesses occupying a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or less on 23 March 2020 will receive a payment of £667 for each 14-day period they must remain closed.
ii. Eligible businesses occupying a property with a rateable value of over £15,000 but less than £51,000 on 23 March 2020 will receive a payment of £1,000 for each 14-day period they must remain closed.
iii. Eligible businesses occupying a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or more on 23 March 2020 will receive a payment of £1,500 for each 14-day period they must remain closed.
The Council has no discretion over this grant and will make payments to eligible businesses in line with the government guidance. This grant scheme is fully funded and defined by central government and the funds will be administered by Richmondshire District Council in accordance with the guidance issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). To view the government details on the scheme, please view the Local Restriction Support Grant (Sector) scheme guidance.
Please read the Richmondshire District Council’s Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector) scheme policy.
As eligibility for payment under this scheme are narrow, potential claimants are advised to read the scheme which the council is operating before progressing to complete their application
Before you start to complete this grant payment information request, please have to hand your:
Business rate (this can be found on your business rate bill)
Rateable value of the property (this can be found on your business rate bill)
Name on business bank account
Business bank account number
Business bank sort code
Business VAT registered number
Business company registration number
Fields with an asterisk ( * ) are mandatory answers that need to be completed so that you are able to submit the form.
If you are liable for business rates on 1 November 2020 but have not informed the council of this, you should supply your details by sending an email to local.taxation@richmondshire.gov.uk so that we can create your business rate account number.
Eligibility criteria
This funding is available for businesses that have been forced to close, where companies are not covered under the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Scheme but have significant fixed costs* which are not related to employment.
Businesses with a registered address in the Richmondshire District Council area will be eligible for this scheme. The business will need to be trading** within Richmondshire.
The business must have been actively trading on and before the 23 March 2020.
Grants will be paid subject to State Aid regulations, meaning the business needs to check that they comply with State Aid rules and inform Richmondshire District Council accordingly prior to payment being made. If State Aid rules are breached the responsibility lies with the applicant and, in line with the legislations, the council can take action to recover the funding.
* Fixed costs - Any costs relating to the operation of the business that cannot be cancelled during this period. These could include property costs such as rent for non-rateable commercial premises, utilities, etc. Fixed costs do not include employee cost.***
** Trading - A business that even if not registered within the district on Companies House, has a presence in the area and is clearly trading from an address within Richmondshire.
***Employee costs – Any costs that are met by the business after having taken account of any government grants to take account of payments to the business from the Government’s furlough scheme or Self Employed Income Support Scheme or any other employee related grants.
**** Significant impact - A statement will be required from the company showing that at least 50% of their revenue comes from businesses required to close within the defined sectors in point 2 above, and that this will have an impact on their income of at least 30%.
Who will receive the funding?
The company or sole trader who will receive the grant must have been trading the day before restrictions came into force.
Rate relief shall not be awarded in any circumstances where it appears that an award will result in the ratepayer receiving state aid that is above the current de minimus level of €800,000 aid in a three year period (consisting of the current financial year and the two previous financial years). Please visit the Official European Union website for more temporary framework for State aid measures.
Please note - The government and local authority will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud - and any business caught falsifying their records to gain grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back, as may any grants paid in error.
What happens next:
If the criteria has been met, payment will be made to the bank account that you have provided on this form.
Please note Richmondshire District Council is required to follow this guidance and conduct activity to provide assurance that the grants have been paid out in line with the eligibility and State aid conditions for this scheme. We must continue to ensure the safe administration of government grants and that appropriate measures are put in place, pre-award, to mitigate against the increased risks of both fraud and payment error. In this respect, we will supplement existing controls with digital tools to support efficient, appropriate and accurate grants awards. The Government has provided councils with access to their anti-fraud tools such as Spotlight and National Fraud Initiative (NFI) to support the administration of Covid-19 emergency grants.
What you will need to provide:
Your contact details
Business details (including business rate and rateable value of your property)
Business bank details (including VAT and Company Registration Number if applicable)
Proof the business was trading on the 4 November 2020 (for example - receipts, invoices)
Proof of ongoing commercial fixed building costs (for example - rent invoice, bank statement)
Proof have suffered a significant fall in income
Your privacy
The information you provide on this application form will be used to facilitate your business grant application request. The information will only be disclosed to individuals in the Council who require it to complete your request. Please be aware that your information may be passed to the Council’s Counter Fraud Service and/or the Police if we suspect any fraudulent activity. We are also required to refer claim information to HMRC / Government for checking for potential fraudulent activity. For more information about how we use your personal data please see the Council’s Privacy Notice on its website.
The Government has determined that this scheme runs until April 2021.
