A YORK MP has called on the city council to do more to support independent businesses who have fallen through the cracks in terms of support following the coronavirus pandemic.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said she has been working with independent businesses across the city who have been unable to access the Government’s Business Support grants and have been 'frozen out' of the City of York Council’s Discretionary Grant programme which caps eligibility of businesses with a rateable value above £51,000.

But City of York Council insists that around £110 million in Government support has gone out to businesses via grants and reliefs with a further £1 million invested to deliver the council's own local emergency grant scheme for small and micro-enterprises.

Ms Maskell said businesses missing out include some of York’s best-loved children’s play providers who operate from large premises that are still unable to reopen and have so far been denied access to any grant support.

She said other businesses include local food and drink producers, speciality retailers and independent boutique hotels, who provide good quality jobs, draw people to the city and generate business for other local firms in their supply chains.

She said that many other well established York businesses providing goods and services from smaller premises with rateable values of over £15,000 have also struggled to access grant funding after they were found not to qualify for the Government’s Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grants Scheme.

Ms Maskell said: “Local companies have been stung by missing the rateable value cap, thus being disqualified from accessing lifeline grants. The council had the opportunity to rectify this however have chosen not to unlike many other councils in high rateable value areas. Being a tourism hub York has a great many businesses who support the hospitality industry who have also been left with no grant support and now urgently need help as their seasons have been cut short and orders are down.”

Cllr Andrew Waller, CYC executive member for economy, said: “York was among the fastest authorities in the country to get around £110 million worth of support out to businesses via grants and reliefs. A further £1 million was also invested to deliver our own local emergency grant scheme for small and micro-enterprises, who did not meet the criteria for the Government support scheme. This extended micro grant scheme has seen us deliver direct financial support to over 3,000 local businesses. With the limited funds available to the council, a decision was taken to support businesses which have a rateable value or annual mortgage of below £51,000, in order to target funding at as many businesses as possible. The full amount of available grant funding allocated to the council has been distributed to local businesses as we continue to lobby the Government for more direct support for businesses, particularly those with a rateable value above £51,000, as well as the self-employed, who continue to fall through the gaps in Government support schemes.

“City of York Council, just like countless businesses, is having to deal with significant financial pressures, with increasing demand for services and lost income as a result of the pandemic. And despite some welcome Government support, the council faces a £23 million shortfall in our finances. This is why we continue to urge the Government to keep their promises and provide local authorities with vital financial help so all of our city’s businesses and residents can receive the support they need and deserve.”