A LEADING Thurrock councillor says the door is open for the borough's businesses that are 'in crisis' to get help from the authority.

Grants of up to £25,000 are available with the council calling, this evening (Tuesday, 31 March) for businesses to register with them.

There has been considerable comment on social media that the council has been slow to react, with one business reporting it has been spending hours on end waiting on unanswered phone calls to the council - while another small shop in Grays contacted Thurrock Nub News today saying they were in desperate straits but were unable to get any response from the authority.

However, the council's leading councillor for finance, Cllr Shane Hebb, says everything is in place to get urgent help where it is needed via the council's online portal.

He says the following government grants to help businesses stay afloat are available to businesses and shops in the borough

• £10,000 for businesses in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rates Relief
• £10,000 for retail, hospitality or leisure businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or less
• £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000

Any business owner who thinks they are eligible for one of these grants should visit the Thurrock Council webpage to find out more about the help on offer and compete an online form updating their contact and payment details.

A council statement adds: "Businesses do not need to apply for the funding. However it is vitally important that the council has the correct contact and payment details to enable swift payment, many of which will be closed and cannot receive post."

Cabinet Member for Finance Cllr Hebb said: "Many of the borough's businesses face very real uncertainty as a result of coronavirus and I know that these government grants could be a vital lifeline for them.

"That is why we are doing everything we can to help businesses during this difficult time and making sure that there are no obstacles which will hold them up from receiving their grants.

"We want to make this process run as smoothly as possible. Thurrock Council is here to help and that is why we have created a simple guide about exactly what is available to help businesses in this difficult time and a form to make sure that we have all the details we need to get these grants out to people as soon as possible.

"I urge all local businesses to visit our website and make sure that they complete the form so we can get payment to them as quickly and smoothly as possible."

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