AN ANNOUNCEMENT was made before Christmas by chancellor Rishi Sunak that businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises.

More than £100 million in discretionary funding will also be made available for local authorities to support other businesses.

Andover Business Improvement District (BID) had joined other BIDs, UK Hospitality, the mayor of London, the BID Foundation, British BIDs, the Night-Time Industries Association amongst others in petitioning for greater financial support for the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors.

Consumer confidence has dropped significantly, and 'work from home' guidance puts many vulnerable industries under intense pressure during what should be their golden quarter. That's why full business rates relief, VAT relief extension, additional grants, support for freelance and self-employed workers and targeted support for cultural businesses are the foundation of a critical support package, the BID says.

Steve Godwin, BID manager for Andover, said: “At what is often their most profitable time of year, many pubs and restaurants in Andover have seen cancellations and reduced footfall as people have responded to the rise in cases ahead of Christmas, with UK Hospitality reporting that many businesses have lost 40-60 per cent of their December trade, often their most profitable month.

“We are pleased that the government have listened and acknowledged the vulnerability that this new Omicron strain has brought to the industry but only time will tell whether the grants are enough.”

Details of the government support are at gov.uk/government/news/1-billion-in-support-for-businesses-most-impacted-by-omicron-across-the-uk