Help for Harrogate businesses battling to survive in the coronavirus crisis

The authority is signposting towards the government's package of temporary measures announced earlier this week when the Covid-19 virus first struck the district's economy, causing closures and job losses.

The measures include a statutory sick pay relief package for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as a one-year business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

Also available is grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief.

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Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 can also apply for grants of up to £25,000.

The government has also launched a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, offering loans of up to £5million for small and medium-sized enterprises.

It comes as The Bank of England today, Thursday warned the economy will face a "sharp and large" shock as it announced to cut interest rates for the second time in just over a week.

The emergency moves brings interest rates down to 0.1 per cent from 0.25 per cent - the lowest ever in the bank's 325-year history.

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Harrogate Borough Council is responsible for administering the business rate relief and grant funding packages.

It said online: "If you run a business in the district, the current coronavirus situation is likely to be very concerning, especially if you are involved in the hospitality industry."

The council added: "We are still working as close to normal as we can and we continue to support residents and businesses, particularly the most vulnerable members of our community.

"We have tested contingency plans and we are well placed to respond to what we expect to be a dynamic and changing situation."

Visit www.harrogate.gov.uk for more information.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter