Market stallholders in Ripon and Knaresborough who were unable to trade for 11 weeks because of coronavirus, will receive discretionary grant payments from Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) this week.

Weeks after other local authorities in Yorkshire made the urgent payments to traders, HBC has still to make payment of the £2,000 grants it agreed to pay to qualifying applicants.

In response to the question about the delay in payments of the grants compared with other local authorities, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson, said:

The spokesperson went on to point out that evidence is required from the applicant to ensure they meet the national eligibility criteria, as well as an assessment and pre-payment assurance check. The grant is primarily to support businesses with high ongoing fixed property costs, such as rent.

Traders who were classed as selling 'non-essential' goods were not allowed a stand for almost three months and many lost tens of thousands of pounds.

In a bid to assist them and other businesses, the government introduced the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund on May 29, saying that grants up to £10,000 could be made - with the discretion on what applicants could receive, being in the hands of local authorities across the country.

 

The closing date for applications from market traders was June 28 and Andrew Sutcliffe, who sells women's clothing on both Knaresborough and Ripon markets, told the Stray Ferret:

Mr Sutcliffe pointed out:

Sonya Johnson, who sells handbags, scarves and other women's accessories, said:

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