Businesses in Nottingham urgently need more financial support from the Government after it put the city and county into the High Alert, Level 2 category for coronavirus restrictions.
One of the new restrictions is that different households can no longer mix anywhere indoors including shops, pubs, bars and restaurants.
City Council Leader, Councillor David Mellen, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, highlighting that this will have a significant impact on local businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors which face a further drop of in trade at a crucial time when many are already fighting for survival.
Cllr Mellen is urging the Government to bring forward a bespoke business support package to protect jobs in Tier 2 areas like Nottingham noting that that there will be financial assistance for those businesses in Tier 3 that are forced to close, but no specific financial assistance for businesses that are still trading in Tier 2 areas.
”Without a specific package of business support for Tier 2 areas I fear that many good businesses will go under and the consequence of this would be more job losses and more empty business premises,” says Cllr Mellen in the letter to the Chancellor.
“I would urge you in the strongest possible way to reconsider the Government approach to supporting jobs and livelihoods in places like Nottingham, where Tier 2 restrictions will apply. It is essential for the social and economic wellbeing of the City I represent that you:
- Urgently bring forward a bespoke business support package to protect jobs in Tier 2 areas like Nottingham
- Create a new ‘Business Survival Grant’ to help those businesses most affected by additional Covid restrictions
- Work with Councils in Tier 2 areas to protect and support good businesses and save jobs.
“On behalf of residents and businesses in Nottingham I urge you to act now.”
Letter from Cllr David Mellen to Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP