Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services

Recommendations:-

1.    That Cabinet approve the operation of the Discretionary Grant Fund as set out within the report.

2.    That Cabinet note the application process and timeframe for applications to be made.

3.    That Cabinet delegate to the Strategic Director Finance and Customer Services the application of any surplus grant to top up the grant values paid to eligible small businesses.

Consideration was given to a report which sets out proposals for how the Discretionary Grant Fund will be utilised by the Council, the businesses the Council aims to support, eligibility and exclusions and the application process.

On 1 May 2020 the UK government announced a new discretionary grant fund scheme that would aim to provide grant support to those businesses affected by Covid-19 who did not receive any support under the first tranche of business grants. The proposed scheme gave local authorities a degree of discretion to design their own scheme, however, it did indicate the business types that government intend the funding to be used to support.

As the report had not been included on the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for 28 days prior to the decision being taken by Cabinet, consent to the decision had been given by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board. As part of the pre-decision scrutiny process, the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board had considered the report and indicated its support for the proposals.

Resolved:

1.    That approval be given to the operation of the Discretionary Grant Fund as set out within the report.

2.    That the application process and timeframe for applications to be made be noted.

3.    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services in respect of the application of any surplus grant to top up the grant values paid to eligible small businesses.