The Showmen’s Guild have a further update on applying for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) – for being closed:
UPDATE: The Guild have since published a further ARG update which you can read here.
The following 42 councils have given Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) to small businesses without Business Premises.
They are (Grouped according to the Guild’s geographical Sections):
Northern Section:
1. Durham County Council;
Yorkshire Section:
2. Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire;
3. Kirklees Metropolitan Council, West Yorkshire;
4. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council., South Yorkshire;
Lancashire Section:
5. Bolton Council, Greater Manchester (Lancs.).
6. South Ribble Borough Council, Lancashire;
7. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, Merseyside;
8. West Lancashire Borough Council;
Midland Section:
9. Birmingham City Council;
10. Coventry City Council;
11. Wolverhampton: City of Wolverhampton Council, West Midlands;
Notts & Derby Section:
12. Derby City Council;
Western Section:
13. Cornwall Council, Truro;
14. Eastleigh Borough Council, Hants.
15. Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge;
16. Somerset & West Taunton Council;
17. South Somerset District Council Yeovil;
18. Dorset Council (new wider area since April 2019 covering 6 former councils);
19. Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire;
20. New Forest District Council, Hampshire;
21. Gloucester City Council;
Eastern Counties Section:
22. Dunstable Town Council, Bedfordshire;
23. West Norfolk Council, King’s Lynn;
24. Breckland Council. Dereham, Norfolk;
25. East Suffolk Council, Lowestoft;
26. South Norfolk Council, Norwich;
27. Kettering Borough Council, Northamptonshire;
London & Home Counties Section:
28. Uttlesford District Council, Safron Walden, Essex;
29. Castlepoint Council, Benfleet, Essex;
30. Chelmsford City Council, Essex;
31. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Kent;
32. Folkestone & Hythe District Council (Formerly Shepway) Kent;
33. Swale Borough Council, Sittinbourne ( Faversham & Sheerness),Kent;
34. Gravesham Council, Gravesend, Kent;
35. London Borough of Southwark;
36. London Borough of Richmond;
37. Brighton & Hove City Council, Sussex;
38. Lewes District Council, East Sussex;
39. Mole Valley District Council, Surrey;
40. Buckinghamshire Council;
41. Waverley Borough Council, Godalming, Surrey;
South Wales:
42. Pembrokeshire County Council, Haverfordwest;
• If you live in one of these areas and have either not applied, or have applied and been rejected for not having Business Premises, then do apply / reapply now.
• If you do not live in one of these areas, but have either not applied for the ARG or have applied and been rejected for not having Business Premises; then apply / reapply in your area – quoting these 42 places as evidence that your council should follow suit.
• In all cases, include the CEO of the Council and your local MP in copies of your application / complain to them both if you are rejected.
• Remember to keep all copies of all correspondence related to applications, including screenshots on your phone of online applications.
• Do contact your Section with your experiences good or bad, including the name of your local council, so that we can represent these to the Govt. and so as to help your colleague members.
A reminder of previous advice on applying for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG):
For those who have been applying for Local Authority Grants, if you have been unsuccessful, keep trying and include writing to the Chief Executive of your local council and your local MP.
The Tourism & Heritage Minister and Sir David Amess, Chairman of our All-Party Parliamentary Group both have encouraged us to do so.
We have seen research showing that many Local Authorities have considerable amounts of undistributed money.
This advice (below) regarding the Guidance that local authorities have regarding the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) was on the Guild Official Facebook Group on 15th Nov (it is still there):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/417043596355287
More on the Government’s Additional Restrictions Grant Guidance….
please note the following useful clauses in the Government Official Guidance:
“How much funding will be provided to businesses?
22.Local Authorities can determine how much funding to provide to businesses from the ARG funding provided, and exactly which businesses to target.
23.However, we encourage Local Authorities to develop discretionary grant schemes to help those businesses which – while not legally forced to close – are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions put in place to control the spread of Covid-19. This could include – for example – businesses which supply the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors, or businesses in the events sector.
24.Local Authorities may also choose to help businesses outside the business rates system, which are effectively forced to close – for example market traders.”
Some local authorities mention Fairgrounds and Circuses in specifically, (as we have asked the government to do) others don’t; but Showmen are within the definition of clause 23 and even without paying Business Rates, as mentioned in clause 24.
Early applications are advised (see how to with the links on the previous posts below.
For any queries related to any of the above information, please contact your Section Office directly.
