Eamonn Watson
- Oct 16, 2020
- 4 min read

LANCS TO COPY LIVERPOOL?

Updated: Oct 22, 2020

Hopes have been raised of additional emergency hospitality and leisure grants, as Lancashire council bosses spent the weekend considering following Liverpool's lead, in providing additional funding to those businesses who have had to close, and those who face near empty premises for weeks ahead.

Following Lancashire's negotiation of an additional £30m of support, the focus has swiftly moved on, to the Tier Three additional help it might provide for those hardest hit.

Liverpool City Region’s had moved swiftly following their Tier Three lockdown to put in place top up emergency funding for both businesses now closed by law, and those limping along but operating with a much reduced customer base. Those businesses are still carrying staff costs with much reduced demand and the end of the Job Retention Scheme support is just days away.

As such the LCR grant application process began on Friday 16th October and will run for a fortnight and aim to make payments within 10 days.

Lancashire County Council leader, Geoff Driver for one was clear that copying the Liverpool model is a measure he would support,“That’s happening in Merseyside and we can do that too, I’d be very surprised if in the final determination we didn’t choose to do some of that. As best we can, we intend to help anyone who is affected. We all realise in the pubs and the bars many of the staff are on the minimum wage and we are going to do our best to help them out."

"Each of the local council leaders will make the final decision on the allocation of the funds in their area, not government officials," he clarified.

HOW DOES LIVERPOOL'S EMERGENCY £40m TOP- UP PLAN WORK?

Hospitality and leisure business not forced to close

A Full Time Employee payment of :-

£1,200 per FTE * job sustained by the business
Such grants will be paid in phases.
First payment (50% of grant), followed by two monthly grants of 25%
Grant instalments subject to evidence of each FTE employed and State Aid compliance

An eligible business may also receive (subject to the availability of funds) a one off payment if the business has a property with a rent/rateable value as follows (whichever is lower):-

A one off payment for those who pay rent or rates of

£2,000 if RV up to £15,000
£5,000 if RV is £15,001 to £51,000
£10,000 if RV over £51,000

Hospitality & Leisure businesses forced to close

A Full Time Employee payment of :-

£800 per FTE * job sustained by the business
First payment (50% of grant), followed by two monthly grants of 25%
Grant instalments subject to evidence of each FTE employed and State Aid compliance

An eligible business may also receive (subject to the availability of funds) a one off payment if the business has a property with a rent/rateable value as follows (whichever is lower):-

£1,300 if RV up to £15,000
£2,000 if RV is £15,001 to £51,000
£3,000 if RV over £51,000

ELIGIBILTY FOR THE EMERGENCY GRANT IN THE LCR

Amusements and visitor attractions (family entertainment centres)
Bowling Alley
Bookmakers
Camping and Caravan sites
Gyms, yoga / dance centres
Hotel
Ice Rink
Leisure centres
Outdoor Pursuits Centre Art Gallery / Museum (privately owned)
Play Centre /Soft Play Centre Bars
Private Golf Courses and Driving Ranges
Public House Café with indoor / outdoor seating
Registered bed and breakfast accommodation (not Airbnb accommodation)
Restaurants
Sports Club (e.g. football, rugby)
Theatre / Cinema / Event Spaces
Trampoline Centre
Urban farm

CAN IT HAPPEN IN LANCS? : - A NOTE OF CAUTION

In other circumstances, there could potentially be a fall-back option of an equally imaginative, discretionary grant being made available from each local authority, both to the suppliers and those more widely affected, but realistically the final settlement of £42million divided between 15 Lancashire councils will only spread so far through a long Lancastrian winter.

The Covid Tier Three deal may have closed pubs and bars, each of which will now be eligible for Local Restriction payments of between £1,344 and £3,000 per month, but the pubs who also serve meals and standalone restaurants have no choice but to remain open.

They of course will see hugely diminished volumes of trade now as only families are allowed to dine together, whether in Tier 2, or, here in Lancashire Tier 3.

Suppliers to each of the businesses closed from Saturday, 17th October too, as well as the associated trades that depend on hospitality for their own custom, like taxis, have also been forgotten.

It should not be forgotten that the Councils must also use the £28 per head settlement to set up and maintain track and trace, police the new restrictions and communicate the regulations.

As each local authority plans additional ways to support the businesses caught in the backwash of the local restrictions, we will bring you latest developments over the next few weeks and help you to navigate the proposed additional support.