Wet bars £10.6 million support scheme opens next week
It will apply to bars that serve only alcohol that were forced to close from July 4 to September 23
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Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy notice A rescue package is to be rolled out to wet pubs from January 11.
The Wet Pubs Business Support Scheme will provide £10.6million in support of bars forced to remain closed between July 4 and September 23 last year, when the rest of the hospitality sector was permitted to open and trade.
Largest business support grant will continue automatic payouts in new tougher lockdown The tougher new lockdown on retail, hospitality and close contact businesses will come into effect from December 26. Picture by Hugh Russell. Ryan McAleer 19 December, 2020 01:00
STORMONT’S biggest Covid-19 grant support scheme for business will continue to pay out for premises forced to shut under the new six week post-Christmas lockdown.
Non-essential shops will close after the end of trading on Christmas Eve. Close-contact services, such as hair salons, will also have to shut and pubs, cafes and restaurants will again be restricted to takeaway services.
The Department of Finance first introduced the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme (LRSS) during the October lockdown on hospitality and close contact services.
Analysis: Will Brexit leave the economy walking into 2021 with its shoelaces tied together? Economy Minister Diane Dodds is preparing a £95m high street stimulus, but Brexit has left her department s budget at risk for 2021. Ryan McAleer 19 December, 2020 01:00
WE now know we’re facing six weeks of a tough lockdown after Christmas and for the business community there’s a resigned, albeit frustrated acceptance.
We’ve been here before, and in some ways we’re in a better place to respond.
Stormont’s largest grant, the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme, will continue its payments automatically for those who have already been approved.
Dodds announces new £10m support scheme for wet pubs
Economy Minister Diane Dodds today announced a new Covid support scheme to help wet pubs forced to close by regulations.
The Wet Pubs Business Support Scheme (WPBSS) will provide £10.6m to drink-only public houses which were forced to close between July 4 and September 23.
The Minister said: “Public houses which serve drink only have suffered significantly due to the impact of the restrictions on trading imposed through the Health Regulations. Most hospitality businesses were able to re-open on 4th July after the first restrictions were eased, however, pubs that didn’t serve a main meal were required to remain closed until 23rd September – some 12 weeks longer. This is why I felt it was very important to provide this support scheme for wet pubs.”
BBC News
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image captionThe LRSS scheme opened to businesses in Derry City and Strabane on 14 October, and was made available NI-wide on 19 October
The Department of Finance has been asked why more than half of business support applications from the Derry City and Strabane District Council area were rejected.
The department received 1,502 applications to the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme [LRSS] from the council area since 15 December.
Of these, 783 were rejected.
Across Northern Ireland about 25% of applications were rejected due to being ineligible, the department said.
A spokesman said on an NI-wide basis one of the most common reasons for an application to be rejected was because duplicate applications have been made and in many cases because incorrect information has been supplied.