Council responds to Burgess Hill Town chairman's statement

Mid Sussex District Council have responded to Burgess Hill Town chairman Kevin Newell's statement released yesterday.
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Newell called for the fans and town to stand up for the club and said it was at risk due to the financial issues caused by the coronavirus lockdown.

The club has lost the majority of it's income but have received a government grant. The club asked for a rent suspension from the council but it was refused.

Burgess Hill Town fans at the Green Elephant StadiumBurgess Hill Town fans at the Green Elephant Stadium
Burgess Hill Town fans at the Green Elephant Stadium
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But the council say the grant Burgess Hill Town has already received is meant for helping business with costs such as rent.

Councillor Judy Llewellyn-Burke, Deputy Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said: “The £10,000 support grant we have provided to Burgess Hill Town Football Club is specifically to help businesses meet ongoing costs during the coronavirus outbreak. This includes rent payments.

“We appreciate this is a difficult time for local businesses and that’s why Central Government is providing a number of initiatives to support businesses during the current disruption. A Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Job Retention Scheme, Statutory Sick Pay Rebate and a VAT Deferral are all available and Sport England is providing a £195 million to help support sport and physical activity through the Corona Virus pandemic.

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“We have encouraged Burgess Hill Town Football Club to apply for all the support that’s on offer to them but should they still be experiencing difficulties after applying for this support then we’d be happy to engage in further discussions about how we can help.”