Businesses in the pub and leisure industries are reminded Dudley Council is offering help and support, after it was confirmed that Dudley borough is to remain in tier 3 in the lead up to Christmas.

To date, Dudley borough businesses affected by the pandemic have received over £105 million in business grants and rates relief and support is ongoing for those who are unable to operate due to restrictions.

During the November lockdown over 960 businesses claimed help. The borough then went into tier 3 and the local authority processed grants for over 90 businesses during the first two weeks of the restrictions. As the borough has been confirmed as remaining in tier 3, businesses that cannot operate due to restrictions can also apply for further grants and support from December 17th to 31st.

Applications for an additional £1,000 is also being made available for those pubs which mainly serve alcohol rather than food – referred to as ‘wet pubs’. The one-off payment is a one-off, which is for December and will be paid on top on the existing cash grants of up to £3,000, has already gone out to 50 establishments. Councillor Steve Clark, cabinet member for finance, said:

"Christmas is a vital time for the pub and leisure industry, as people typically come together to celebrate the festive season. With our region currently being in tier 3 our pubs and restaurants can open for a takeaway service only and we know this is having a huge impact for some of our businesses.

"We are pledging to continue to do all we can to help them through these challenges times and I would urge all eligible businesses to apply for support ASAP."

The Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme has helped hundreds of businesses. Eligibility is set by the government and depends on the rateable value of the business premises. The financial help aims to support businesses through the latest restrictions and recent lockdown period.

The extra £1,000 is available to ‘wet pubs’ only - for more information visit dudleybusinessfirst.org.uk. People can keep up to date with the latest coronavirus restrictions and related council services at dudley.gov.uk/coronavirus