A message from the Leader of Brent Council, Councillor Muhammed Butt

I know many local businesses will be understandably worried about the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is dominating our daily lives right now and it is clear that COVID-19 is set to challenge us all in ways we have never experienced before.

Brent is a borough of thriving small businesses, forward-thinking local entrepreneurs and a place where people come from all over the world to visit, live and work.

You are the heart of our high streets and industrial areas and a vital part of our local economy, so I want to reassure you that as a council, we are taking every step possible to try and support you through this pandemic.

In the past week, the Chancellor announced measures to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and we are working closely with the West London Alliance and the Government to plan how we are going to implement these locally.

The Government has set out the below measures. This is what we know so far, and it’s based on all the information we’ve received from the Government but we understand you might still have some questions and I promise we’ll share any new information we receive as soon as we can.

• Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme - this will enable businesses to apply for a loan of up to £5million, which will be interest free for the first six months.
• Statutory Sick Pay Support - for businesses with fewer than 250 employees, the cost of providing 14 days of Statutory Sick Pay per employee will be refunded by the government in full. 
• Helpline - this has been set up to help businesses and self-employed individuals to receive support with their tax affairs. HMRC’s dedicated helpline is available on 0800 0159 559.
• Small Business Cash Grant of £10,000 - for businesses that pay little or no business rates and are eligible for small business rate relief (SBRR) or rural rate relief.
• Business Rates Holiday - for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year.
• Grant of £25,000 - for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from smaller premises, with a rateable value up to £51,000.

We will be sharing more information on the Business Rates Holiday when we have received the guidance from the Government, which we are expecting on Friday (20 March), and we will keep you updated with any more information as soon as it’s available.

Advice is changing daily but the most up-to-date and accurate information can be found on the Government website, or we also have a special coronavirus web page that’s updated daily www.brent.gov.uk/coronavirus