How Calderdale Council is planning on helping businesses through the pandemic

Calderdale Council’s Place Scrutiny Board had heard from a number of business representatives about the challenges they and their members faced amid the pandemic.

Coun Rosin Cavanagh (Lab, Luddenden Foot) asked what support the council could give to help businesses assess their short, medium and long term health, for example whether customers’ changing behaviour would prove temporary or permanent.

Diversification was an issue and other factors than the virus also had an impact.

“Some may have to face the sad fact their business might not be viable, not just because of COVID but the changing nature of the high street,” she said.

Coun Jane Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said balancing issues during the pandemic was difficult, with a new tiered restrictions system being readied by Government.

“We are trying to keep people safe and we are trying to keep the economy thriving.

“I hear terrible sad stories of businesses falling through the cracks of those grants and going to the wall,” she said.

Of potential new restrictions, Coun Scullion said: “We are trying to stop us moving into the highest tier of restrictions which would force hospitality to close down – we are trying to keep the COVID-19 rates down.”

Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn) said the council should do things it could practically do, for example withdrawing recently approved extensions of charging hours for car parking and also looking again at Business Rates in towns.

“Several times during the year I have been banging the drum but unfortunately it is falling on deaf ears.

“These businesses need every bit of help – footfall is the key,” he said.

Coun Scullion said balance also applied to issues like car park charges, with free on street space being used by people who worked in shops rather than shoppers.

“And parking is not simply an income generation activity – by legislation we are required to spend money we get from parking on inproving our roads,” she said.

Coun Scullion said she was afraid that the effect of the pandemic to an extent would be that Calderdale would see some businesses unable to survive – business rates and council tax were important revenue for the council to provide services.

“It is in the council’s interest to make all of these things work,” she said, adding that mid-way through a pandemic lessons were still being learned.

Coun Audrey Smith (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) asked, if car parking charges were such an issue, the Woolshops, Halifax, car park was getting 90 per cent of its usual income during the pandemic.

Woolshops manager Jason Gregg said it was about convenience and where it was sited.

“It is the most expensive car park in town but we were well used even before the pandemic,” he said.