Kirklees Council is offering business rates relief to local companies impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but which have not been eligible for other Government funding.

On April 5, Kirklees Council received approval from Cabinet to establish the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund. The fund is using new Government funding to provide retrospective business rate relief for businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic, but have not been eligible for other Government rate relief schemes.

Eligible businesses will be able to reclaim up to 75% of their business rates bill for 2021-22. The eligibility criteria are available on Kirklees Council website – click here to read it.

Businesses that supply the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, the events/exhibition sector, travel, commercial car parks and manufacturing/engineering sectors will be able to apply for support. Businesses applying for support will need to demonstrate that the pandemic has impacted on their turnover.

The funding will target small and medium-sized businesses and the eligibility criteria have been developed to ensure as many businesses as possible can access rates relief. Larger businesses, whose premises have a rateable value of more than £141,000, will not be eligible.

Applicants must have been in occupation of their premises and have been trading or providing a service between April 1 2021 and March 31 2022; they must have registered for business rates with the council before March 1 2022 and be liable for the payment of business rates.

Businesses can now apply for this rate relief simply and quickly through the council’s website, between now and 5pm on Friday June 10 2022. The council will also be working with local partners to promote the scheme and reach eligible applicants.

Huddersfield Civic Centre I

Since the start of the pandemic, Kirklees Council has already distributed more than £175 million to local businesses in the form of Covid-19 grants. This new funding allocation totals £7,361,465.

David Shepherd, strategic director for growth and regeneration, said: “We’re doing everything we can to support our local economy in the wake of the pandemic.

“We’ve already distributed more than £175 million of grants to support local businesses impacted by Covid-19, and this scheme, which will cover the 2021-22 financial year only, will complement existing national rate relief schemes which support the retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and childcare sectors.

“The Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund allows us to help small businesses in those sectors which have been most impacted by the pandemic, and who haven’t received any support of this kind.

“This support could make a huge difference to many small businesses in Kirklees who have faced and survived unprecedented challenges over the last few years.”