12:00pm Monday 15th March 2010
By Andy Tate
SWINDON Council has been awarded almost £200,000 to help businesses in the town recover from the recession.
Communities Secretary John Denham yesterday gave the local authority £192,000 to support small and new companies in hard hit areas and lessen the impact of the downturn for struggling families and firms.
It is hoped that by giving small and medium-sized businesses extra support to get through the tougher times they will be better placed when economic growth picks up.
Officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government said such support might include business and renovation grants, extra bus services to offices, apprentice schemes, free parking or office space.
The cash formed part of £50m announced under the local authority business growth incentives scheme to help councils that “successfully promote local growth” make further progress towards economic recovery in their area.
Ministers said the support came on top of the free business health checks, discounted rate bills for small businesses, tax payment deferrals and help with bank loans.
Mr Denham said: “Building economic recovery is the Government’s top priority and we firmly believe in the decisive leadership role councils have to play. Strong, vibrant, decisive local government is an essential part of our plans to promote growth and cut unemployment while rebuilding the public finances.
“We put the public sector in the lead while the private sector was struggling, spending and investing to lessen the impact on individuals, businesses and communities. We are giving councils up and down the country a further £50m to support small and new businesses in hard hit areas that might need a little jump start to get up and running again.”
He added: “Local councils, and councillors, with their unique democratic mandate, are best placed to make to provide financial support and local services that are responsive to the pressures being felt by families and businesses in local areas.”
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