£2m to help firms ravaged by Ciara
GRANTS TO HELP FLOOD-HIT BUSINESSES
A £2M fund has been set up by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for businesses in Calderdale hit by flooding during Storm Ciara.
The storm caused intense flooding resulting in many businesses in Brighouse, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd being destroyed.
The LEP works to help businesses grow and become more productive.
They have worked in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council to set up the Business Flood Recovery Fund to help around 600 affected businesses.
Most of the buildings devastated by the flood are small to medium size firms that specialise in retail, tourism and leisure.
Many of these were unable to insure their businesses due to the devastation of the Boxing Day floods in 2015, leaving them with no cover.
Roger Marsh, chairman of the LEP, said: “It’s devastating to see the scale of damage in Calderdale and I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be for those business owners and employees who have been affected.
“SME’s are the lifeblood of our economy and it’s vital that we work with our partners to help get the community back on its feet and open for business as soon as possible.”
Emergency grants of up to £2,500 are available to cover short term costs such as replacing critical equipment, carrying out urgent repairs and dehumidifying their premises.
However
larger grants are available for businesses hit even harder, to help refurbish damaged premises and replace any larger equipment such as machinery.
Leader of Calderdale Council and deputy chairman of the West Yorkshire Combined authority Clr Tim Swift, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the flooding, and we are doing everything we can to support them. There are major impacts across Calderdale, with 600 businesses flooded throughout the borough and significant recovery efforts ongoing.
“Local businesses are a vital part of our economy and we know how awful the impacts of flooding can be to their livelihoods. We want them to get back up and running as quickly as possible. I really welcome this initial injection of funding from the Leeds City Region, which recognises the unique scale of the challenges we face.
“We urge businesses to take up the grants available and are putting in place additional staffing to manage demand and ensure we can process claims as quickly as possible.”
Businesses wanting more information about the grants available should email business@calderdale. gov.uk
Support is also available for businesses based outside Calderdale that have been affected by flooding.
Contact businessgrowth@the-lep. com for more information.