Call to create a taskforce to help after Covid upset
THE COMMITTEE WOULD HELP THOSE HARDEST HIT BY THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC
A CALL has been made to set up a special Covid recovery team to help vulnerable communities hit hard by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Councillor Richard Grosvenor will call on East Staffordshire Borough Council to create a Covid response and recovery committee made up of councillors and organisations to direct funding and resources to the vulnerable communities hit the hardest by the pandemic at a meeting on Monday, July 26.
He has put forward a motion that will be read to the council meeting, which says: “This council recognises the unprecedented impact of Covid 19 on our communities. It particularly understands that the pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable and in communities that are among the least well off impacting severely on the social economic and mental health well being of our residents.
“We recognise the excellent work undertaken by all agencies at this time and the effort being undertaken to help our communities come through the pandemic as lockdown restrictions ease.
“We therefore believe it is vital that these efforts are coordinated in a more structured way to ensure that help and assistance is directed where it is most needed.
“As such this council resolves to create a Covid Response and Recovery committee to be made up of a cross section of councillors and organisations (voluntary, private business and community groups) directing resources and funding in order to ensure that our vulnerable communities are best placed to show resilience and come out of this pandemic better and stronger.”
It was recently revealed that the borough council has handed out more than £57 million to help 10,000 residents and business in East Staffordshire to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
And East Staffordshire Borough Council previously revealed in a report to its ruling cabinet group that it spent £57,601,261 in grants and relief which went to 10,928 businesses and residents during the pandemic up until July 2, 2021.
The biggest chunk of that cash came from the Governments Expanded Retail Discount Relief which totalled £37 million and helped 836 businesses. This scheme provides 100 per cent business rates relief to charity shops, museums, galleries, theatres, historic houses, sports clubs and village halls.
A total of 3,447 people were helped with a council tax hardship fund which totalled a hand-out of £799,000.
The report provides a review of activities that are contributing to the borough’s recovery from the impact arising from the covid-19 pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of coronavirus a pandemic on March 11 2020. By law, category one responders, which includes all local authorities, have duties to plan and prepare for emergencies.