Help is on its way for Blackpool hospitality businesses says council

Blackpool Council has sent out a message to businesses that “Help is on the way.”

The Council says that a package of measures to provide financial aid to businesses large and small is close to being finalised and details are expected to be announced over the next few days.

The measures are designed to support those that have been required to close due to pandemic lockdown restrictions as well as those that have remained open, but suffered serious losses as a result of a dramatic downturn in trade.

The Council has also pledged to use its business support services to help businesses access the national support measures announced by the Chancellor last week, including the extension of the Job Support and Self-Employment Income Support Schemes.

Last week, the business community, the local authority and the town’s two MPs, sent an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to intervene and provide urgent financial support to tourism businesses that have seen their trade wiped out during the crucial October half-term period.

Coun Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Our key objective has to be put in place the sort of support that ensures we have a viable tourism product when we get to the other side of these pandemic restrictions.

“Our senior officers are working tirelessly to secure the level of support that will help our businesses survive and protect the jobs of our residents.

"The various restrictions that have been in place over the past few months, culminating in the imposition of Tier 3 restrictions on the eve of the October half-term, have had a devastating effect on our tourism and hospitality industry.

“We are now close to securing an initial tranche of funding that will provide desperately-needed support to the sector. It won’t fully resolve the challenges ahead and we will continue to lobby Ministers to recognise that we are facing a unique set of challenges in Blackpool that threaten to undermine the resort’s future.

“We are determined to use any mechanism we can to help whether that is through grants, loans or signposting to other Government support and business advice.”

For businesses legally forced to close the Tier 3 Local Restrictions Support Grant is already live for applications. www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residents/Benefits/Local-restriction-support-grant

Read also: Blackpool to get £39.5m from Towns FundBlackpool Gazette:

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