Businesses received over £74m in grants over 2 years

GOVERNMENT figures have revealed in the two years to March Derbyshire Dales District Council paid out £74,151,150 in Covid grants to support local businesses.

The 17,202 grant payments made by the authority from March 2020 exceeds the number of payments made by many other councils, including some city councils.

The Government has published the final totals for all the Covid business support grants paid by each local authority.

Overall, across the numerous grant schemes available during this period, Derbyshire Dales District Council paid out more than 89% of the funds allocated by the Government, putting it in the top fifth of councils, exceeding the national average of 84%.

But for those grants which were at local discretion, the district council paid out 100% of its Government allocation to businesses in the district – more than £5 million.

This included extra support to hospitality businesses, special grants to firms directly impacted by flooding earlier in 2022, and grants to small local businesses to help them adapt and grow post-covid.

The council’s leader Garry Purdy said: “I want to pass on my thanks to all the team members who helped with this marathon effort over the first two years of the Covid pandemic. It was an amazing coming-together of people from across the district council, working long hours and going the extra mile to pay grants that enabled so many Derbyshire Dales firms to be supported during and after Covid restrictions.

“I am particularly proud that the district council tailored our discretionary grant funding to Derbyshire Dales needs, and paid out 100% of this to local small businesses.”