Warrington Borough Council has now handed out more than £1m in vital funds to local businesses affected by the recent lockdown.

In the past few weeks, the council has received almost 2,000 applications for government support grants and has moved quickly to ensure funds are administered to Warrington businesses as quickly as possible.

More than 500 businesses who have had to close, along with those who are struggling, have now been awarded grants, with the council’s benefits and exchequer team continuing to work hard to process all applications.

Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Innovation, Cllr Tom Jennings, said: “It’s good news that we’ve so far awarded £1m to hundreds of local businesses. I urge any business who believes they’re eligible to apply for this vital support funding.

“We were in the top quartile of councils paying out in March, and I’m pleased that we are again moving at pace with administering this round of funding. I’d like to reassure all those who have applied that we are working round-the-clock to ensure every penny of funding is handed out as quickly as possible.”

Businesses who think they may be eligible but have not yet applied, can do so by completing the application form at warrington.gov.uk/business-support-coronavirus-update

There are two types of funding available:

• Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) – government grants of up to £3,000 per month for businesses required to close due to local lockdowns or targeted restrictions.
• Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) – funding secured by the council from the government to support closed businesses and those directly impacted by the lockdown, which will be administered on a discretionary basis.