Scarborough Council has paid out nearly £45m in coronavirus grants to borough's businesses

Cllr Steve Siddons said that paying the government’s coronavirus grants to businesses has been a top priority for the council and it had put significant resources and effort into the process so that it can provide the support needed as quickly as possible.

As of yesterday (Wednesday), the council had paid out £44.7 million in grants to 3,933 businesses.

Recent figures published by the government show that the council has been named as one of the top local authorities in the country for the amount of support it has given out, listed as 17th out of 314 councils.

The council is also working with local business organisations to reach out to the borough’s businesses to ensure they get the support they need.

Cllr Siddons said: “Our priority is making sure we are at the heart of supporting businesses in our communities during this challenging time.

“We will also have an important role to play in helping businesses get back on their feet after coronavirus, understanding the impact on our economy and leading the way in supporting the economic recovery of our borough.

“We are already planning for this and we are working with our partners to determine the most suitable recovery strategy for our area.

“In the meantime, our hard-working staff are continuing to make great progress in paying the business grants and I’d like to sincerely thank them for everything they are doing.

“They have worked seven days a week, including evenings, taking hundreds of calls and contacting hundreds of businesses. Their efforts will continue every day until all eligible businesses have received their money.”

The council has also reiterated the call it made last week that it can only pay grants to businesses that have supplied the required information.

Eligible businesses that have not yet completed the online data form for a grant should do so via the coronavirus page at www.scarborough.gov.uk.

Business owners have been asked that if they see 01723 232323 on their caller display, they should answer the call as it will be the council checking some details of their application.