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18
Feb 2022
Harrogate hospitality businesses call on council to release £6,000 covid grants
Hospitality business owners have called on Harrogate Borough Council to release government grants of up to £6,000 that were created to help them through the Omicron wave.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme was announced in December to help businesses that faced cancelled bookings and staff isolating over winter.
But almost two months later, some businesses in Harrogate are still waiting to be paid.
Two hospitality business owners, who asked not to be named, told the Stray Ferret they were unhappy that the council had not released the funds yet.
The Times published an article this week that said UK councils were sitting on over £850m of funds intended for businesses.
The Stray Ferret has seen an email from the council to one of the business owners dated a month ago. It said a decision on its application for the grant would be assessed within 10 days. The business owner called the delay "a joke".
Read more:
- 788 Harrogate hospital patients were sent back to care homes without covid test
- Harrogate district covid rate continues rapid fall
David Simister, chair of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said "it's simply not good enough" that the council has not distributed the grant yet to all eligible businesses.
However, he said some members of the chamber had received their grant.
Mr Simister said:
A council spokesperson said:
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