Spotlight Groby & Field Head Mid-March 2021
The Monthly News & Information Magazine For Groby, Field Head & The Brantings Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Business Recovery Project Fund Launched SMALL BUSINESSES that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic are being urged to apply to a new fund to help businesses to safeguard jobs in the borough.
Gillian and Alan celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary ORIGINALLY from the North East, Gillian and Alan Moffett have lived in Leicestershire for over 60 years with the past 21 being in Beaumont Green, Groby.
They were married at Holy Cross Church, Fenham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 4th March 1961 and have just celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary, receiving a congratulatory card from HRH Queen Elizabeth II. They both left their north east roots when Alan joined the Leicester City Police Force (as it was then). He was a serving traffic officer for 30 years and then in Traffic Admin until his retirement in 2004. Keen gardeners, Gillian and Alan have 2 daughters and 4 grown-up grandchildren and are very much looking forward to celebrating their 60 married years with their family, when restrictions are lifted.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council has launched a Business Recovery Project Fund to target match funded grants to help to small businesses and help them to recover from the impacts they may have faced or are still facing, from the pandemic. The fund prioritises independent business (including retail), tourism and hospitality business and creative industry and is designed to help toward the costs of investing in new equipment or other capital expenditure to aid their recovery. Other independent businesses that can demonstrate they have suffered severe hardship as a result of the pandemic are also welcome to apply. Suitable projects might include new equipment or machinery, building a new website, investing in new products and e-commerce such as contactless payment technology or permanent fixtures and fittings to support social distancing such as an awning for a café or restaurant to support alfresco dining. The grants available range from £1,000 and £15,000 and the scheme will provide 50% grant support with the applicant providing the other 50% as match funding. This grant scheme is funded through the government’s Additional Restrictions Grant. The council’s initial allocation of £300,000 is for the period to the end of March 2022 or until funds run out. Businesses should be able to A 25% INCREASE in the cost of Hinckley and Bosworth’s garden waste demonstrate their recovery project will safeguard jobs and collection service may sound like bad news. But, at £30 per annum from ideally create new ones. 1 June, it still represents good value compared to the service provided by Leader of the Council, some other local authorities. Councillor Stuart Bray said: The Government website says “Some councils provide a home collection service for garden “We recognise local businesses waste - there may be a small fee for green waste collection.” Although some councils make no has been severely impacted by charge, for the people of Harlow, who were shown to be paying £96 per annum a couple of years ago, that may have the pandemic and many may been an understatement. They are no doubt pleased that the council cut the cost to £42 last year, with the portfolio need to adapt and change to holder for environment admitting that “the cost has been too high for too long.” Sunny Eastbourne residents face a survive. This grant is available £70 charge this year. to support our local businesses The £24 charge hasn’t been increased for 5 years, and the start date for the new year has been put back by two in implementing a recovery months to the first of June to compensate customers for the collections missed when the pandemic hit in the spring of project enabling them to them 2020. The service now runs from 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022, though subscribers can renew from 1 March onwards. get back on their feet and grow “The £6 increase is to reduce the level of subsidy required from other budgets,” explained a spokesperson for sustainably.” Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. “The garden waste service last year cost £1,411,350 to run. The income For the full guidance and details from garden waste subscriptions was £780,000, so subscriptions currently only represent around 55% of the cost of on how to apply visit: www. providing the service.” hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/ businessrecoveryfund Norman Griffiths
Garden waste collections still good value despite £6 increase
Next Issue Out On 17th April • Advert & Article Deadline Is 3rd April