THE leaders of every council in Yorkshire have joined together in calling on the Government to provide more support for struggling high street retail which has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The joint letter, to Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, calls for further financial support to help businesses through the winter as they face further restrictions on trading following a year decimated by Covid-19.
They have expressed concerns about the economic impact of measures to tackle Covid-19 in Yorkshire, and how tough it is for many businesses to stay open without more support. Apart from Tier 2 York and North Yorkshire, every other area in the region is in the strictest Tier 3 regulations.
The Christmas period is a crucial time for many high street businesses and hospitality venues, accounting for around 40 per cent of their annual income for some.
Councillor Judith Blake, co-chair of the Yorkshire Leaders’ Board and leader of Leeds City Council, said: “As we emerge from the second national lockdown and into Tier 3 of local restrictions, we’ve made the case to government that it’s essential we have the right support in place, for not just for retail but also for their supply chain.
“The situation for our retailers, both big and small, national chains and independents, is getting critical and the next few weeks of the Christmas trading period will be make or break for many of them.
“Our businesses have shown themselves to be incredibly resilient, innovative and entrepreneurial this year, and support is needed now to make sure they’re ready for better times ahead.”
Fellow co-chair Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, which is in Tier 2, echoed the sentiment, adding: “The welfare of our businesses and communities is at the forefront of our efforts to respond to the pandemic and recover from its effects.
“Taking the necessary and adequate steps to bridge the gap to keep businesses alive and people employed will pay for itself in the long term.
“We believe there is a strong case for continued discretionary funding for businesses in all areas, especially the hardest hit ones.”
The Government has announced further support for businesses, including the extended furlough scheme and a £1,000 payment to ‘wet’ pubs, but the leaders say it is not sufficient and does nothing to tackle costs faced by businesses and the self-employed.
They have asked for “fair and proportionate” support that takes the restrictions into account in order to make sure businesses can survive until trading conditions can return to normal.
Alongside their letter, the leaders submitted proposals for increased support, including certainty around future funding and increased discretionary funding reflecting the reality facing business owners in areas like Bradford which have been under tougher restrictions for months.
