 1 day to go until EU Exit - take action now!
With one day to go - have you read up on the guidance and how your business will be affected?
Businesses in Broxtowe should visit the Council's dedicated EU Exit webpage now, to look at the actions they need to take immediately.
This webpage will continue to evolve over the coming months and will become the one-stop resource for businesses in Broxtowe, to view up to date information in relation to the UK leaving the EU.
 Tier Four Restrictions
At 00:01 on 31st December, Broxtowe (and the rest of Nottinghamshire) will enter Tier 4 restrictions. The announcement was made on 30th December.
Businesses which must close
To reduce social contact, the regulations require some businesses to close and impose restrictions on how some businesses provide goods and services. The businesses required to close include:
- non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, auction houses (except for auctions of livestock or agricultural equipment) and market stalls selling non-essential goods – these venues can continue to be able to operate click-and-collect (where goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises) and delivery services
- hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and drink for takeaway (until 11pm), click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery
- accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites, except for specific circumstances, such as where these act as someone’s main residence, where the person cannot return home, for providing accommodation or support to the homeless, or where it is essential to stay there for work purposes
- leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and indoor gyms, indoor swimming pools, indoor sports courts, indoor fitness and dance studios, indoor riding centres, and indoor climbing walls
- entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, indoor play and soft play centres and areas (including inflatable parks and trampolining centres), circuses, fairgrounds, funfairs, zoos and other animal attractions, water parks and theme parks
- indoor attractions at venues such as botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must also close, though outdoor grounds of these premises can stay open
- personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. These services should not be provided in other people’s homes
- community centres and halls must close except for a limited number of exempt activities, as set out below. Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services – for example for people who do not have it at home – and for click-and-collect services
Some of these businesses and places will also be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities, including:
- education and training – for schools to use sports, leisure and community facilities where that is part of their normal provision
- childcare purposes and supervised activities for children
- hosting blood donation sessions and food banks
- to provide medical treatment
- for elite sports persons to train and compete (in indoor and outdoor sports facilities), and professional dancers and choreographers to work (in fitness and dance studios)
- for training and rehearsal without an audience (in theatres and concert halls)
- for the purposes of film and TV filming
Businesses and venues which can remain open
Other businesses and venues are permitted to stay open, following COVID-19 secure guidelines. This includes those providing essential goods and services, including:
- essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
- market stalls selling essential retail may also stay open
- businesses providing repair services may also stay open, where they primarily offer repair services
- petrol stations, automatic (but not manual) car washes, vehicle repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses
- banks, building societies, post offices, short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
- funeral directors
- laundrettes and dry cleaners
- medical and dental services
- vets and pet shops
- animal rescue centres, boarding facilities, and animal groomers (may continue to be used for animal welfare, rather than aesthetic purposes)
- agricultural supplies shops
- mobility and disability support shops
- storage and distribution facilities
- car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas
- outdoor playgrounds
- outdoor gym, pools, sports courts and facilities
- golf courses
- archery/driving/shooting ranges (outdoors)
- outdoor riding centres
- places of worship
- crematoriums and burial grounds
For more information, visit: www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-4-stay-at-home
 Further extensions to financial support packages
Following an announcement by HM Treasury on 17th December, it was confirmed that there has been further extensions to the following support schemes:
-
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Furlough) - Now extended until 30th April 2021.
-
Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) - Now extended until 31st March 2021.
-
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) - Now extended until 31st March 2021.
-
Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) - Now extended until 31st March 2021.
Revaluation 2023
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has begun contacting businesses to request rental information to support the next revaluation of business rates in England and Wales – Revaluation 2023.
Businesses in Broxtowe will start receiving letters now, about the Revaluation process. Once you receive this letter, please follow the steps detailed, in order to help the VOA keep accurate and up to date records of business rates.
Click 'Revaluation' below in order to read more about the process.
 Update to guidance for retailers: Returned items
Some businesses may not be aware, that following further research on transmission patterns, the government announced that it there is no longer a need to separately store goods that have been returned or donated for 48 hours before they are displayed again.
Other News and Updates
D2N2 Growth Hub - Business Events
The D2N2 Growth Hub continue to offer valuable help and advice to businesses in Broxtowe. This includes various events delivered online due to the pandemic. Most events are free of charge.
Some FREE upcoming events that may be of interest to businesses in Broxtowe include:
-
Event: Be Your Own Boss - Business Start-Up Support.
Date: 5th January 2021
Time: 10.00am - 12.00pm then 1.00pm - 3.00pm
More info: https://www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/be-your-own-boss-business-start-up-support-1/
-
Event: What's new in Social Media?
Date: 11th January 2021
Time: 2.00 - 4.00pm
More info: https://www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/whats-new-in-social-media/
-
Event: Social Enterprise Support Webinar
Date: 19th January 2021
Time: 9.00am - 12.30pm
More info: https://www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/events/social-enterprise-support/
For a full programme of future events, click 'Business Events' below.
FSA Business Guidance
The Food Standards Agency have a wealth of resources for business owners, which is updated regularly.
The website includes advice on:
- Running a business
- Adapting your food business during COVID-19
- Safer food, better business
- Allergen guidance
- Food hygiene ratings for businesses
- Promoting good hygiene
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
- Supply or produce food on the move
- Distance selling, mail order and delivery
- Food incidents
- Packaging and labelling
Hands Face Space
Did you know that around one in three people with coronavirus don't have symptoms, so staff and customers could be spreading the virus despite feeling fine.
Remember; Hands, Face, Space, every day.
- Wash hands regularly and for 20 seconds;
- Wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will coming into contact with people you do not normally meet;
- Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing a face covering, or increasing ventilation indoors).
Ventilation
As part of the Hands, Face, Space campaign, people are also being urged to take steps in order to increase ventilation in their homes and businesses. This is especially important as more and more people are spending time indoors during the winter months. By opening a window or door to increase the flow of fresh air to indoor settings, this will help to stop the virus spreading.
South Nottinghamshire Online Landlord Forum
This year, the South Nottinghamshire Landlord Forum will be held on Wednesday 13th January at 10:30am (until 12noon) via Zoom.
Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe Borough Councils would normally come together and host a landlord forum at this time of year but, due to the pandemic, this is not possible. Instead the three councils are coming together 'virtually', in partnership with DASH, to host a live webinar.
The aim is to bring you local and national updates. The National Residential Landlord Association and EMPO will also be present to give an update.
Agenda
- Welcome
- Local area updates
- Legal update – NRLA and EMPO
- Questions
For more information and to reserve a place on the online Forum, please visit Eventbrite.
Council services during the COVID-19 pandemic
We have a Support for Business page on our website which has lots of useful information about grants, schemes and links to guidance.
We are also sharing regular updates about affected Council services at https://www.broxtowe.gov.uk/coronavirus
You can also get updates on our social media accounts.
|
