Helping Calderdale businesses recover from the pandemic 'should be a council priority'

In public question time at the full meeting of Calderdale Council, Joe Thompson said that as someone working in a Calderdale business he was worried about the ongoing uncertainties due to COVID-19.

He asked if the council could pro-actively get support to businesses and, looking ahead, would it be working with businesses and business leaders to ensure the area thrives?

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Strategy, Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) agreed and said there were three areas in which the council was trying to “shore up and strengthen” in relation to business recovery in the borough.

The first of these was in the distribution of government grants to those who qualified, currently three types including the latest Additional Relief Fund.

The council was working to get it into businesses’ hands “as much as possible, as quickly as possible”, she said.

Four issues relating to business comprised the second area of help, support programmes the council was undertaking at the moment in terms of making sure people were connected into everything they can be – skills, training, apprenticeships and grant help where it was available.

And thirdly the council had fought hard to get funding for key infrastructure – “prosperous towns mean a prosperous Calderdale as a whole,” said Coun Scullion.

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