HARD-up businesses can now grab a helping hand to survive the recession.
Ryedale District Council has agreed to offer relief from business rates and up to £5,000 in grants to struggling firms.
Councillors also called on landlords to "exercise restraint" with rent increases amid an appeal for a revaluation of business p
remises.
"A survival plan is definitely needed to help Ryedale through the recession," said Cllr Howard Keal, at Thursday's policy and resources committee meeting.
The committee agreed to allocate £80,000 of funding and a further £20,000 from council funds for a business grant scheme.
Established and start-up businesses in Ryedale can apply for grants of £5,000 per year. They will be given to firms requesting financial support with the council aim of creating new jobs and stimulating growth in the local economy.
Cllr Edward Legard, who proposed an increase in the maximum grant available from £1,000 to £5,000, said: "Small, medium-sized business is the real life-blood of the Ryedale district and also our future. At the moment, the Government is doing the square root of nothing to help small business."
The committee also approved a non-domestic rate hardship relief scheme. Firms can appeal for relief of up to 100 per cent of their business rates – provided they can prove hardship and that it would be a benefit to council taxpayers.
The Government will meet the majority of the cost with the remaining amount paid for by local taxpayers.
Cllr Keal said: "This is an extremely cost-effective way of pumping money into the local economy. It's effectively 75 per cent funded by central Government which has to be one of the best bargains on offer.
"For shops or businesses in the area this could make the difference between surviving and going under."
He was joined by Cllr Linda Cowling in calling for landlords to help out their clients.
"It's down to landlords to exercise restraint at this point," he said. "I have heard of some swingeing increases being applied in the midst of a recession."
Cllr Cowling added: "Some of the rents in this area are ridiculously high. I think there is a real case for revaluation of many of the business premises in Ryedale."
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