Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has expressed anger at Bradford Council’s handling of Coronavirus business grants for businesses who have been told to close by the Government during the Coronavirus pandemic. A number of grants have been made available by Central Government to assist businesses through this difficult time. Local authorities have been tasked with delivering these grants to the community.
It has since transpired that Bradford Council has a huge backlog of cases, many going back to late 2020. Many businesses in our area have been closed since November 2020 with little to no financial support being provided by Bradford Council despite the money being there. In November 2020, the Government introduced an Additional Restrictions Grant for areas like Keighley and Ilkley which have been under additional restrictions. Of the £10.7 million given to Bradford Council, as of 4 March little over £0.5 million had been paid out to businesses.
Commenting, Robbie Moore said: “It is very disappointing that Bradford Council are taking so long to distribute these grants whilst businesses are suffering. I appreciate that vetting these grants and distributing the money takes time and they must all be thoroughly checked – I get that. However, Bradford Council should be dedicating more time and resources to this to ensure they get through the backlog as quickly as possible. Instead Bradford Council have decided to launch a Local Plan consultation, pushing forward with proposals to build many houses on our green open spaces through a rough shot consultation which seems aimed at engaging with as fewer people as possible.
“I am calling on Bradford Council to drop their obsession with building on our greenbelt and support the many businesses across the Keighley and Ilkley constituency who so desperately need this grant - money which has been provided by Central Government. I urge Bradford Council to make this a priority as it is vital to our recovery. I will personally be taking this matter up with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, making him aware of backlog of business grants being processed by Bradford Council.”
Commenting Sarah Wilkinson, Owner of Equilibrium Beauty Salon in Silsden, said: “Bradford council must be held accountable for the extreme delays with regards allocation of the ARG/restricted grants. Having spoken to many different people within the grants department at Bradford council, they seem to be making the rules up as they go along, it’s time they stopped playing god and released this money to the hard working, self employed business owners of Bradford.”
Commenting, the owner of Yorkshire Motor House in Keighley said: “I applied for my grant back in September 2020. In November the council declined my grant due to lack of evidence. I then produced this evidence for the grant to be reconsidered. I am still waiting to hear back on whether I was successful. Every time I speak to the council they fob me off. My business has had no financial support in over six months.”
