West Lindsey hospitality and tourism sector given a financial boost

It has been widely recognised nationally and internationally that hospitality is the industry hit hardest by Covid-19, with the majority of such businesses in the district having had no option but to stay closed.

This top-up grant utilised the Additional Restrictions Grant provided to West Lindsey District Council from the Government to support their local priority sectors.

In all, 211 hospitality/ tourism businesses, who had already applied for the Closed Business Grant, have automatically been paid the Hospitality /Tourism Grant.

They were awarded between £1,000 and £10,000 and the total awarded was £672,500.

The Council administers a number of grant funds on behalf of central government as part of efforts to support the wider economy to help manage the impacts of Covid19.

This work is ongoing and the Council is continuing to check, verify and process all the applications.

So far the Council has issued a number of other grants which include: 

• Closed Business Support Grant, launched on November 12, 2020, which has to date received 794 applications. The total amount awarded so far is £2,627,579.

• Open and Impacted Business Grant Scheme, launched on November 26, 2020, funded from the Additional Restrictions Grant, which has received 177 applications. The total amount awarded is £224,863.

• January Lockdown payment, launched on January 5, 2021, which has been allocated to 511 businesses. The total amount awarded was £2,363,000

• Wet-led Pub Grant, launched December 2020, which has been allocated to 51 businesses. The total amount awarded is £51,000

Cllr Paul Howitt-Cowan, Chairman of the Leisure, Culture, Events and Tourism sub group at West Lindsey District Council, welcomed the news.

He said: “It is crucial that we support our visitor economy businesses.

"I am pleased that the Council, which is committed to economic regeneration as part of our Corporate Plan, was able to provide this additional funding.

“We know that most visitors have cancelled their bookings and asked for refunds, causing severe cash-flow issues for businesses. In most cases it’s practically impossible for businesses to provide an equal substitute for the overall visitor experience.

“And whilst other sectors have been presented with a window of opportunity to diversify, to retain trading on a smaller scale, we know that has not been possible for the hospitality sector.”

Eligible business included:

a) Hospitality settings, such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants

b) Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses

c) Indoor entertainment and tourist venues.

The remaining Additional Restrictions Grant will be used for a blend of business grant support, top up of existing schemes and wider business support up to March 2022.

The Council continues to work up the detail of these proposals and highlight any gaps in provision to the Government.

In addition to the grants there is more support available to businesses across the district, this includes a specialist business advisor and webinars.

Visit www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/businesssupport for more information.