Welcome to this week’s business newsletter on the support and guidance available during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This issue features the following articles:
- Pubs, cafes and non-essential retail to open their doors again
- Eligibility for Discretionary Grant
- Changes to licensing laws in England and Wales
- Flexible furlough changes
- Workspaces reopening
- Learn how to start an online business with Amazon
- Making our high streets safe
- Test and Trace - what you need to know
- Outset – business start-up experts offer free workshops
- Wood St Coffee reopens
From Saturday 4 July 2020, most businesses in England can reopen. For information about key steps to reopening safely, recent Government guidance, advice for hairdressers and similar establishments, and pavement licenses, please visit our webpage.
A small number of ‘close proximity’ venues will need to remain closed for now, such as nightclubs, casinos, soft-play areas, indoor gyms and fitness/dance studios, swimming pools, water parks, bowling alleys, skating rinks, beauty salons, massage and tattoo parlours, exhibition centres and spas.
The Government is continuing to work with these sectors to establish taskforces to help them become Covid Secure, and to reopen as soon as possible. Pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, and accommodation providers can reopen, given they adhere to Covid-secure guidelines. Some leisure facilities and tourist attractions may also reopen, if they can do so safely – this includes outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks and arcades.
If you are a business that is reopening, there are important steps you must take to reduce risk of infection within your premises. These measures are vital to ensure safety and confidence among staff and customers, and will aid in the recovery of the local economy.
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We are pleased to announce the expansion of the eligibility criteria for Discretionary Grants. The following businesses are now invited to apply. Detailed criteria are given in the link below:
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Larger hospitality and leisure businesses with rateable values between £51k and £100k;
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Charities with rateable values up to £100k;
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Community Interest Companies with rateable values up to £100k;
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Larger suppliers to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, with rateable values up to £100k;
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Cafes based in borough parks;
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Casual market traders.
Those businesses that fall within the original criteria are still able to apply and the window for all grants will remain open until the funding has gone.
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Plans to support the hospitality industry and high streets have been announced by the Government.
In England, the licensing process for pubs and restaurants to create outdoor seating areas will be simplified and outdoor markets and pop-up car boot sales will no longer require a planning application.
Pubs and restaurants will also be able to use car parks as dining and drinking areas without applying for additional permission. In England and Wales temporary changes to licensing laws will also be introduced to allow licensed premises to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises.
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Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme came into effect on 1 July.
Employers will be able to bring previously furloughed employees back to work part time and decide the hours and shift patterns they work to suit the needs of their business. From 1 August, employers will be asked to contribute towards wages costs.
From 1 July, you can claim a more flexible grant for any employee you have previously received a CJRS grant for, and who now returns to work on reduced hours. You can also continue to claim for employees who stay fully furloughed.
What you need to do next
- claim for periods ending on or before 30 June, by 31 July – this is the last date you can make those claims
- agree the hours and shift patterns that you want your employees to work from 1 July
- pay your employees' wages for the time they’re in work and apply for a job retention scheme grant to cover the remainder of their usual hours for which they are still furloughed
- claim for further furlough periods as needed – the first time you will be able to make a claim for days in July will be 1 July
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Many workspaces across the borough, including Switchboard Studios Creatives Works and Blackhorse Workshop, have re-opened.
Switchboard Studios resident Wright Studio has made some bespoke designs for their workspace which they have decided to open-source. You can download the four different PDF designs here.
Both Switchboard Studios and Creative Works are based in Walthamstow’s Creative Enterprise Zone around the Blackhorse Lane area.
Both welcome viewings of their range of flexible workspaces. Book a viewing at Creative Works and find out more about their offices, bays and fixed desks.
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In the first of two live webinars in the Virtual Launch Academy series, join to hear from the Director of Small Business Saturday
Michelle Ovens with her top tips for getting started with selling online. You can also hear form an Amazon Marketplace Services expert on how you can become an Amazon seller.
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As part of our Enjoy Waltham Forest programme, we’re committed to getting residents to walk and cycle across our borough and use our high streets safely.
We’re introducing temporary road measures, as part of London Streetspace, to ensure residents can maintain safe social distancing when using our high streets and town centres. These temporary measures include suspending parking bays to widen footways, creating lower traffic streets, better cycle routes and infrastructure, or to highlight any dangerous pinch points.
We’d love to hear from you, about where you think these measures would be useful to your businesses.
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As a business in Waltham Forest, we expect you to know how to access the NHS Test and Trace, and will continue to help you to do so.
If you've recently had any of the symptoms then it's important you isolate with your household and order a test immediately.
The symptoms you need to look out for are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
Make sure you protect your loved ones and our wider communities, by following the Test and Trace guidelines.
Help us keep Waltham Forest safe.
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As businesses start to open their doors to customers once again, albeit at a socially acceptable distance, Outset is offering a range of new fully-funded online workshops in Waltham Forest for July to help your clients develop their skills and get their business moving.
Please help us to promote them by posting on your social channels, by forwarding this newsletter, featuring them in your newsletters and in any other promotional material that you may be sending out.
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Wood St Coffee, a cafe and specialty coffee roasters based in Blackhorse Road, reopened on 1 July.
The business continued to roast and post coffee throughout lockdown. It has an extensive online shop, stocking everything for your home brewing needs. The roastery offers a specialty subscription service delivering freshly roasted single origin coffee direct to your door every two weeks.
Offering a takeaway only service to begin with, the team are hoping to open their outside seating very soon. The menu has a focus on antipodean-inspired brunches, homemade cakes (including chef Jo’s famous ‘Jonuts’), generous sourdough sandwiches, seasonal soups and salads.
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We will continue to update you as new information is available. We know that this is a fast-moving situation, but we are confident staff will continue to provide support and guidance to local businesses in Waltham Forest.
You can sign up to our email newsletter with up-to-date information about Covid-19 below.
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