Support on offer for Arun businesses affected by coronavirus lockdown

This will apply to small businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector and started on April 1, with a review as time goes on.

This is in addition to the exemption from business rates for all in the same sectors previously announced by the Government. They can cancel their direct debits with immediate effect and the council will write to them when it has more information from central government.

James Walsh, leader of the council, described the sectors as ‘crucial’ to Arun’s economy and said they were ‘determined to do everything we can to support our local small traders, many of them family businesses’.

For SMEs the council will be writing to its business tenants making a facility available to defer rent payments falling due in April, May and June for six months.

The letters will set up the process businesses can follow to take this up.

For more information about the coronavirus, the support on offer to businesses and how to either volunteer or request help from the community hub visit www.arun.gov.uk/coronavirus or call 033 022 27980.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

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We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.