Plymouth’s leading business support organisations are joining forces with the Council to campaign for small businesses that have missed out on vital Government support.
A letter is being sent today to the chair of the Local Government Association, Councillor James Jamieson asking for help to ‘plug the gaps’ for support for small businesses.
In Plymouth around 400 businesses - employing over 3,000 people - are still without a financial lifeline because they don’t fit the criteria for one of the grant schemes, despite Treasury announcements of a huge package of support for many sectors across the country.
Council Leader Tudor Evans OBE said: “We are collectively knocking on every door possible asking for help for these Plymouth companies.
“We are asking the LGA to demand action from the government. They meet the government regularly and we want to ensure they are raising these concerns of Plymouth businesses in those meetings.
“Many of these businesses are young start-up companies that could be vital in helping to re-boot the economy.
“They’ve been prudent, starting small while they develop and grow, taking units in business parks or operating from mobile pitches. Now not only have they had to stop their business, they have fallen through the gaps of the support packages available.
“We’ve also been contacted by businesses involved in events management and entertainment, for instance, who have seen their work completely dry up.
“These companies help make Plymouth a great place to live, they help families mark celebrations, they cannot be left to fend for themselves. They will go under without help.”
Chief Executive of the Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Stuart Elford said: “We are delighted to be in a strategic partnership with the Council and other business groups to lobby hard with a united voice for businesses in our area and especially those who have fallen through the gaps in the current support packages.
“This provides a powerful voice and hard evidence to give us the best chance of success in helping local businesses to survive the current pandemic and emerge ready to do business as soon as the crisis is over.”
The letter highlights issues that still remain around businesses who fall just outside the eligibility criteria and where it is not possible for the Council to exercise discretion. They are:
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