Local and National Goverment Support for Businesses

December 11, 2020 george grace

Good Afternoon

Please find below details ongooing grants, a webinar for high street businesses plus extracts from council business newsletters relevant to all business sectors.

ONGOING GRANT SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES SEVERELY IMPACTED DUE TO TEMPORARY LOCAL RESTRICTIONS.

Businesses that have not had to close but which have been severely impacted due to local Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions may be eligible for LRSG (Open). Eligible businesses may be entitled to a cash grant from their local council for each 14 day period under local restrictions. Local councils have the discretion to provide grant funding for businesses under this scheme. They will use their discretion in identifying the right businesses to receive this funding, based on their application process.

Eligibility

Your business may be eligible if it:

is based in England
is in an area subject to Tier 2 or Tier 3 local restrictions since 1 August 2020 and has been severely impacted because of the local restrictions
was established before the introduction of Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions
has not had to close but has been impacted by local restrictions

Local councils have the freedom to determine the precise eligibility criteria for these grants. However, we expect the funding to be targeted at hospitality, hotel, bed & breakfast and leisure businesses.

What you get

Local councils are best placed to determine local needs for supporting recovery. They will exercise their local knowledge and discretion relevant to their economic need to provide grant funding. The grant will be based on the rateable value of the property on the date of the start of the local restrictions. We anticipate local councils will provide funding under the following tiers, unless there is a local need to deviate. If your business has a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or less, you may be eligible for a cash grant of up to £467 for each 14 day period. If your business has a property with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, you may be eligible for a cash grant of up to £700 for each 14 day period. If your business has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you may be eligible for a cash grant of up to £1,050 for each 14 day period. In the event of national restrictions being introduced, LRSG (Open) will cease to apply, as relevant businesses will receive funding from either the:

How to apply - Visit the local council’s website to find out how to apply.

WEBINAR:

COVID briefing for High Street business on support and restrictions following the Government review of Tiers due on 16 December.

Thursday 17 December, 5pm - Following the planned national review of local Tiers on 16 December, we are holding a session for all high street based businesses on the latest COVID-related support and restrictions. The session will include officers involved in Public Protection, Licensing, Grant funding and Economic Development. It will be an informal session with opportunities for questions and discussion.

Sign up to the meeting using the link below - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/high-street-business-covid-briefing-with-qa-tickets-132415156297?keep_tld=1

COUNCIL NEWSLETTER:

With Bristol in Tier 3, many people are struggling not only with the restrictions but also the added stress of working from home whilst finding a work-life balance. However, there are many mental health support tools available, and we want to make sure as many people as possible are using these resources.

Business toolkits

1. Wellbeing resources from Business in the Community

2. COVID-19: employee health and wellbein g toolkit

3. Mental Health resources from Mental Health at Work

Crisis and suicidal thoughts

1. Samaritans helpline

2. Free Suicide Prevention training

3. NHS Mental Health Crisis helpline

Mental Health and Problem Debt

1. Advice and support with debt

2. Debt and coronavirus information

3. Coronavirus, universal credit and benefits help

Self Help and maintaining resilience

1. Every Mind Matters

West of England specific support

1. Thrive at Work from WECA

2. Emotional support helplines from Bristol Mind

Shop safe this Christmas

During lockdown, we have been working hard to make sure our high streets are COVID-safe this Christmas. Please take note of the signs and remember to wash your hands, wear a face covering unless exempt, and make space. Latest figures show that Bristol rates continue to fall. Bristol's infection rate is 140 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days (up to 2 December). The regional R number is estimated to lie within a range of 0.7 – 1.0, reflecting the fall in cases locally and nationally. However, we must not get complacent, and everyone should stick to COVID-19 restrictions to protect our city.

We aim to publish a COVID-19 bi-weekly Bristol statistics update twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday afternoons which you can find on our website. Thank you to all who have supported our local efforts. We must not stop now; every action makes a difference, protecting our families, loved ones and our NHS.

Find out more on our website

New deadlines for furlough applications

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) now has monthly claim deadlines. Employers must submit any claims for November no later than 11.59pm on Monday 14 December.

CJRS claims must now be submitted within 14 calendar days after the month they relate to, unless this falls on a weekend in which case the deadline is the next weekday.

Employers should:

1. Check if they’re eligible, and work out how much they can claim using the CJRS calculator and examples, by searching 'Job Retention Scheme' on GOV.UK

2. Submit any claims for November, no later than 14 December.

3. Keep any records that support the amount of CJRS grant they claim, in case HMRC needs to check them.

You do not need to have used the scheme already to make a claim now

Make sure you have the latest information by registering to the live webinars

Ways2Work website relaunch

Established by Bristol City Council, the Ways2Work website looks to build a network of employment and training organisations to work together to fill skills shortages in Bristol, and get our residents into work.

Ways2Work works with partner organisations to ensure a joined up route to sustained careers for Bristol residents, as well as supporting our local employers to thrive.

The website has recently been relaunched, and it features a range of employment support, including a help directory, recruitment advice and COVID-19 support.

Explore the new Ways2Work website

Quick updates

• The UK Government has announced that business owners affected by the pandemic will be protected from eviction until the end of March 2021. The move is a final extension following two previous ones; read more on the GOV.UK website

• The work of Watershed as a social enterprise over the course of the pandemic has been recognised at a special event. Read the article on the Watershed website

• Trading Better Online offers free expert business support for SMEs to grow their digital presence and online sales. The programme helps SMEs increase engagement with customers online, develop a digital marketing strategy, adopt a customer relationship management system and support to sell products online. Request a call-back from the West of England Growth Hub to find out more.

• A pilot Export Academy scheme has been introduced to support smaller businesses begin their exporting journey. It will deliver a series of activities that will build your capabilities, creating a new cohort of confident businesses ready to trade. This pilot programme is designed for owners and senior managers of businesses. To qualify your business must have a turnover of up to £500,000 and be located in the Midlands, North of England or the South West of England. Find out more on the Business West website and register today.

• We are consulting on Council Tax options for next year (from April 2021-March 2022) and we would like to hear your views on the different options. Have your say by completing our online survey

• Read about how much Bristol’s tech sector, now with an estimated 430 companies employing more than 8,000 people, has grown.

• Be the Business have produced a financial recovery guide outlining the steps a business needs to consider in the wake of the pandemic.

• View things to do in Bristol this Christmas, courtesy of Destination Bristol.

Please share this newsletter with any businesses you think would benefit from it. If they would like to receive future emails, they can click the 'Subscribe' button below.

Subscribe

Bristol Council High Street Business COVID Briefing

December 4, 2020 george grace

Please find below details of a webinar and latest newsletter concerning covid:

Webinar - High Street Business COVID Briefing with Q& A

On Monday, 7 December 2020 17:15pm - A session for the High Street based business sector to discuss the latest Covid-related issues and restrictions with Bristol City Council. with Q&A on Monday 7 December https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/high-street-business-covid-briefing-with-qa-tickets-131329952423.

Council Newsletter: Lockdown business grants: still open for applications

While lockdown officially ended on 2 December 2020, businesses can still apply for a grant that covers the lockdown period (5 November - 2 December).

If you pay business rates and were legally required to close due to lockdown, you could be eligible. This grant is known as the 'Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum'.

If your business is still legally required to close due to Tier 3 restrictions, you will also be eligible for an additional grant – the ‘Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)’ – that covers each fortnight you have to remain closed. If you received a ‘Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum’ you will automatically receive a ‘Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)’ – you only need to apply once.

It can be confusing with the number and type of grants available, but we want to support as many businesses as possible throughout this difficult time.

If you think you're eligible or want to find out more, click here

Additionally, we are hosting a webinar for high street-based businesses on Monday 7 December at 5:15pm. The session is an opportunity for businesses to discuss the latest COVID-related issues, restrictions and support available with Bristol City Council. The session is available to all high street businesses, including hospitality, retail, leisure and close contact (e.g. hairdressers, beauty). Spaces are limited so sign up here

Bristol ADVENTures bring Bristol Together at Christmas

Bristol ADVENTures, a new arts project spearheaded by Bristol City Centre BID, will light up a new building each day with a selection Christmas lyrics, with a trail of 24 locations complete by Christmas Eve.

The project is part of the #BristolTogether collaboration which brought thousands of people to the socially distanced 'Hearts in Parks' this summer.

For this initiative over 100 businesses have come together to make a little bit of magic happen for the city. Expect some glowing building frontages, some messaging under your feet and plenty of surprises emerging across the city centre.

For a full list Bristol ADVENTure locations, click here to view the Instagram or here to go to the Visit Bristol website.

Free business support via the WECA Growth Hub

West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has a Growth Hub section of its website that's designed to offer business support - even during the pandemic.

The site offers bespoke business support, financial support and guidance, leadership and management programmes, skills and workforce development, technology and innovation, networks and collaborations.

No matter what stage your business is in, you can get support and guidance via the Growth Hub.

The site also offers mental health support for workplaces via the Thrive at Work programme.

To find out more, click here

Quick updates

• The full regulations for the Tier system including Tier 3 (which Bristol is currently in) is available here

• We have updated our website's section for Hospitality businesses to reflect new rules, such as the 10pm curfew being extended to 11pm, and the sale of takeaway alcohol now being permitted for licensed venues. Click here for more

• WECA is asking people living and working in the West of England for their views about the future of the region, to help ensure it’s a greener, more connected place to live and work; read more and give your views here. The survey will close on Monday 14 December.

• The Bedminster Business Improvement District (BID) is calling on business owners and landlords to apply for a new set of grants aiming to support new business on East Street. Grants of up to £10k are available, funded by the WECA through its Love Our High Streets project, to regenerate currently underused shops, cafes, artists’ studios and offices in East Street, Cannon Street and Bedminster Parade; further details here

• Thangam Debonnaire MP will be hosting a Facebook Live Panel and Q&A on Bristol Culture: Spaces, on Tuesday 8 December (5-6pm). The event is a chance to be part of the conversation about how organisations and decision makers can better respond to the creative community’s need for space in Bristol, and opportunities around this as Bristol recovers and builds back from the impact of the pandemic. Register for the event

• The latest #WeAreBristol film is now out. It focuses on Bristol's high COVID-19 levels and how you can help reduce the spread and protect our city. Watch it here

• A reminder that this Saturday (5 December) is Small Business Saturday. If you're a small business who wants to get involved, visit our website

• You can also browse a free directory of local independent food, drink, shops and classes on The Lockdown Economy website

Please share this newsletter with any businesses you think would benefit from it. If they would like to receive future emails, they can click the 'Subscribe' button below.

Subscribe

Bedminster BID November Update

November 25, 2020 WeArePlaster

Covid and Tier Updates

The Government is set to announce on Thursday (November 26) which places will be in Tiers 1, 2 and 3, but it has already briefly outlined the factors which will influence its decisions. The data has been depressing for Bristol over the past month however over the past few days the infection rate has dropped markedly and there is a possiblity we will be tier 2 rather than tier 3. Posters for premises issued by the government are not mandatory but you might find them useful - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tier-posters-medium-high-and-very-high

Deadline approaches for COVID-19 business grants

The deadline is approaching for businesses to apply for COVID-19 business grants that were put into place during lockdown. The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is for businesses that have had to close due to lockdown but DON'T pay business rates, as well as for businesses that are open but experiencing decreased demand. The deadline for the ARG is Friday 27 November at midnight, so all businesses should apply as soon as possible. The Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum is exclusively for businesses that pay or are liable for business rates, and have to close due to lockdown. This grant covers the period of lockdown, so businesses should apply as soon as possible. Businesses will only be eligible for one of the two grants - not both. To find out more about these grants and apply, click here. For the council’s general information covid please click here https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-information-for-businesses.

CHRISTMAS 2020

Christmas is coming and despite Covid-19 we intend doing all we can to make it a good one in BS3! We have a range of activities planned but in particular:

Lights

During November, the Christmas lights return on East Street, North Street and West Street with wreaths across the road and fairy lights in the trees as in previous years.

Gift Guide

The gift guide returns during November with a wider distribution and an online version. If you have any gifts you’d like to promote - please get in touch with bedminster@weareplaster.com.

Posters and Film

After the success of the #WeAreBS3 poster campaign, even more Bedminster traders will be featured in posters across the area, as well as a series of short films on social media.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR EAST STREET

East Street Vision

We commenced an outline exercise earlier this year. This will go into the detailed master-planning phase over the next two months. More information can be found at www.eaststreetvision.com and via the BID digital newsletter.

It has been a very busy month for East Street in terms of new property developments:

St Catherine’s Place: this scheme was rejected in a planning application six months ago however it is back in the planning system and you can help ensure it succeeds by offering your support here www.stcatherines.place
Little Paradise Multi-Storey Car Park: This development of spaces immediately adjacent to East Street has now been passed at planning and we are hopeful will move quickly into construction.
Little Paradise Residential Development: This new development will bring over 300 apartments and around 400-500 new local shoppers with all their buying power.

Christmas and Covid

November 10, 2020 george grace

Given the latest lockdown situation and the emphasis by the government on businesses being able to continue operating via takeaway and delivery services, we wish to reinforce the importance of selling online and the facility the BID has put in place which is completely FREE OF CHARGE for BID members.

If you have not had a chance yet, please check it out - www.wearebs3.org.uk - its Bedminster’s own virtual high street - launched by Bedminster BID for Bedminster businesses.

TO GET YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE QUICKLY, EASILY AND FOR FREE - PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL US AT BUSINESS@BEDMINSTER.ORG.UK; HELLO@WEARELOCALS.CO.UK; 07801790645

• Free for Bedminster BID members

•Catalysing impulse purchases for and from business neighbours – just like a high street!

• Unlimited number of products and orders

• Comprehensive back end app for traders including product management, route planning, collection and delivery slot logistics and order management

• Comprehensive Ecommerce solution supporting sales, collections and deliveries

• Technical support in set up and ongoing – including security and upgrades of the platform and all running and hosting costs

COUNCIL COVID SUPPORT
There are now a wide range of support services in place available via the council - please visit https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-information-for-businesses for full details

Please note further Furlough Extension and Support for the Self-employed. Government grants to pay workers who cannot carry out their jobs during lockdown will now be available for at least another five months.

The Chancellor has announced continued support for the UK workforce through yet another extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention (furlough) Scheme, which will now operate until next spring. Just a few days ago the scheme was extended from 1 November until 2 December. Now the Government says it is 'going further so that support can be put in place for long enough to help businesses recover and get back on their feet'.

From now until the end of March 2021, employees of businesses in all parts of the UK mandated to close during a period of lockdown will receive 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. Businesses will have flexibility to use the scheme for employees for any amount of time and shift pattern, including furloughing them full-time. There are currently no employer contributions required towards the wages of unworked hours. Employers will only be asked to cover National Insurance and employer pension contributions for hours not fulfilled.

Elsewhere, support for workers through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will also be increased, with the third grant covering November to January calculated at 80% of average trading profits, up to a maximum of £7,500. The Government has already announced that there will be a fourth SEISS grant covering February to April. The Government will set out further details, including the level of the fourth grant 'in due course'.

Additionally, the planned Jobs Retention Bonus (JRB) will not now be paid in February and the Government says it will redeploy a retention incentive at 'an appropriate time'. The purpose of the JRB was to encourage employers to keep people in work until the end of January. However, as the furlough scheme is being extended, the intention of the JRB has evaporated at this stage. The extended furlough scheme will operate as the previous one did, with businesses being able to claim either shortly before, during or after running payroll.

Claims can be made from Wednesday 11 November (08:00 GMT). Claims made for November must be submitted to HMRC by no later than 14 December 2020.

Claims relating to each subsequent month should be submitted by day 14 of the following month, to ensure prompt claims following the end of the month which is the subject of the claim.

CHRISTMAS 2020

Christmas is coming and despite Covid we intend doing all we can to make it a good one. We have a range of activities planned but in particular:

Lights - During November, the Christmas lights return on East Street, North Street and West Street with wreaths across the road and fairy lights in the trees as in previous years.
Gift Guide - The gift guide returns during November with a wider distribution and an online version. If you have any gifts you’d like to promote in the online version - get in touch.
Posters and Film - After the success of the #WeAreBS3 poster campaign last year, we return with more faces, and a film showcasing our traders. This will be launched at the beginning of December.
To get involved please email bedminster@weareplaster.com

NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON OR NEAR EAST STREET

It has been a very busy month for the street in terms of new property developments either passing through the planning process or advancing into it:

St Catherine’s Place This scheme was rejected a planning application six months ago however it is back in the planning system and you can help ensure it succeeds by offering your support here https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=QIFQ6EDN0DG00. More information at www.stcatherines.place and see image above.
Little Paradise Multi Storey Car Park - This development has now been passed at planning and we are hopeful will move quickly into construction. The additional spaces immediately adjacent to East Street rather than scattered around the area including the wrong side of Dalby Avenue will we think have a very positive affect on the street.
Little Paradise Residential Development - This new development will bring over 300 apartments and thus around 400-500 new local shoppers with all their buying power.
East Street Vision - We commenced an outline exercise earlier this year. This will go into the detailed master-planning phase over the next two months . More information at www.eaststreetvision.com and we will be in touch as part of the consultation process via the BID digital newsletter Was this information useful? If so and for regular (but not too regular!) updates of what the BID is working on please sign up for our digital newsletter at www.bedminster.org.uk/news. It only takes a few seconds.

IN OTHER NEWS

East Street Pocket Park - A transformation has taken place on East Street as the Bedminster BID, Juniper Homes, Purcell Architects and local artist Hasan Kamill come together to create a colourful, creative Pocket Park on East Street.

WECA: Love Our High Streets grants scheme Grants of up to £10,000 for individual businesses are available to regenerate currently underused shops, cafes, artists studios and offices in East Street and adjacent streets. The aim is to bring new types of uses into the area, thereby strengthening and diversifying the current offer. Funding for the scheme is being provided via the West of England (WECA) Love Our High Streets Fund. Applications are assessed on merit, job creation and the applicant’s own investment into the business. Full details are available at www.bedminster.org.uk/loveourhighstreet

Preparing for Lockdown

November 2, 2020 george grace

As you will know, government as announced that non-essential retail and hospitality services will be forced to close from 5 November – 2nd December, during a four-week national lockdown. It is possible that this might be extended further.

For the retail and hospitality industry, this news is appalling in the lead up to Christmas. Furlough has been extended during November and many businesses are seeking information on this - there is a simple guidance note below. The government will also give England-based firms up to £3,000 per month under the local restrictions support grant if their premises is forced to close. They can also apply for £1,000 for every furloughed employee kept on until at least the end of January, or £1,500 for each unemployed 16- to 24-year-old given a ‘‘high-quality’’ work placement for at least six months.

We will be addressing the new lockdown at this week’s virtual board meeting on Tuesday and will have a specific discussion group on the issue. The BID industry leaders are calling for immediate action, with a push for Government to fix the issues of the track and trace system, provide urgent reassurance for the survival of retail and food supply chains, and clearer and more focussed financial support for businesses.

Under the new restrictions, the message is clear that we must stay at home, with a number of exceptions detailed here. Takeaways, essential stores and click-and-collect shopping can remain open. We are keen to work with businesses to imporve the promotion and availability of click and collect. Many small local businesses can grow their click and collect if given the right help and advice and in Bedminster we already have the free service for BID businesses www.wearebs3.co.uk - please do get in touch with us if you wish to get your business selling online. We cannot underestimate the power of digital channels in these times.

If you would like a call with the BIDs team, we are a phone call away.

NOTE RE EXTENDED CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME - 1ST NOVEMBER 2020

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (also known as the furlough scheme) has been extended for a month and will remain open until December, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500.

Under the extended scheme, the cost for employers of retaining workers will be reduced compared to the current scheme, which ended on 31st October. This means the extended furlough scheme is more generous for employers than it was in October.

The Job Support Scheme, which was scheduled to come in on Sunday 1st November, has been postponed until the furlough scheme ends.

Job Retention Scheme

Employers small or large, charitable or non-profit, are eligible for the extended Job Retention Scheme, which will continue for a further month.

Businesses will have flexibility to bring furloughed employees back to work on a part time basis or furlough them full-time, and will only be asked to cover National Insurance and employer pension contributions which, for the average claim, accounts for just 5% of total employment costs.

● This extended Job Retention Scheme will operate as the previous scheme did, with businesses being paid upfront to cover wages costs. There will be a short period when we need to change the legal terms of the scheme and update the system and businesses will be paid in arrears for that period.

● The CJRS is being extended until December. The level of the grant will mirror levels available under the CJRS in August, so the government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 and employers will pay employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and pension contributions only for the hours the employee does not work.

● As under the current CJRS, flexible furloughing will be allowed in addition to full-time furloughing.

● Further details, including how to claim this extended support through an updated claims service, will be provided shortly.

● The Job Support Scheme will be introduced following the end of the CJRS.

Who is eligible?

Employers

● All employers with a UK bank account and UK PAYE schemes can claim the grant. Neither the

employer nor the employee needs to have previously used the CJRS.

● The government expects that publicly funded organisations will not use the scheme, as has already been the case for CJRS, but partially publicly funded organisations may be eligible where their private revenues have been disrupted. All other eligibility requirements apply to these employers.

Employees

● To be eligible to be claimed for under this extension, employees must be on an employer’s PAYE payroll by 23:59 30th October 2020. This means a Real Time Information (RTI) submission notifying payment for that employee to HMRC must have been made on or before 30th October 2020.

As under the current CJRS rules:

● Employees can be on any type of contract. Employers will be able to agree any working arrangements with employees.

● Employers can claim the grant for the hours their employees are not working, calculated by reference to their usual hours worked in a claim period. Such calculations will broadly follow the same methodology as currently under the CJRS.

● When claiming the CJRS grant for furloughed hours, employers will need to report and claim for a minimum period of 7 consecutive calendar days.

● Employers will need to report hours worked and the usual hours an employee would be expected to work in a claim period.

● For worked hours, employees will be paid by their employer subject to their employment contract and employers will be responsible for paying the tax and NICs due on those amounts.

What support is being provided and employer costs :

● For hours not worked by the employee, the government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500. The grant must be paid to the employee in full.

● Employers will pay employer NICs and pension contributions, and should continue to pay the employee for hours worked in the normal way.

● As with the current CJRS, employers are still able to choose to top up employee wages above the scheme grant at their own expense if they wish.

● The Government will confirm shortly when claims can first be made in respect of employee wage costs during November, but there will be no gap in eligibility for support between the previously announced end-date of CJRS and this extension.

Bedminster BID

business@bedminster.org.uk, 07801790645

Important Grants News

October 22, 2020 george grace

We are pleased to be able to report that the new grant scheme specifically for East Street is now open for applications of up to £10,000 for new businesses or £10,000 for landlords of vacant premises.

Full details may be found at www.bedminster.org.uk/loveourhighstreet but in summary the scheme is funded by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) through its Love Our High Streets project, to regenerate currently underused shops, cafes, artists studios and offices in East Street, Cannon Street and Bedminster Parade. The aim is to bring new types of uses into the area, thereby strengthening and diversifying the current offer. Applications are open to small existing businesses seeking to grow, new business start-ups or existing landlords with vacant premises that require refurbishment.

APPLY FOR A GRANT

Applications are assessed on merit, job creation and the applicants own investment into the business. Applications for funding will be considered on a first come first serve basis. Central to our application process is a good business plan. You may have a sound business plan already if not there are numerous templates and free examples online.

In the first instant please review the guidance notes here www.bedminster.org.uk/loveourhighstreet which set out all you need to make an application, or if you need to speak to someone then please do contact us as follows:

South Bristol Enquiries: (i.e. residents) contact the YTKO team through southbristol@ytko.com or call 0800 917 9324, referencing the Love Our High Streets scheme in your enquiry.

All other Enquiries (ie not south Bristol residents): George Grace at Bedminster BID, business@bedminster.org.uk, 07801790645

OTHER IMPORTANT GRANTS NEWS

The government announced today a new package of support for jobs and businesses.

open businesses which are experiencing considerable difficulty will be given extra help to keep staff on as government significantly increases contribution to wage costs under the Job Support Scheme, and business contributions drop to 5%
business grants are expanded to cover businesses in particularly affected sectors in high-alert level areas, helping them stay afloat and protecting jobs
grants for the self-employed doubled to 40% of previous earnings

More information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan-for-jobs-chancellor-increases-financial-support-for-businesses-and-workers

BEDMINSTER BID NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2020

September 29, 2020 george grace

Good Afternoon

Please find below a useful update and links from the council on all matters Covid.

However firstly the BID Marketing Group met last night and has the following outline plan for Christmas etc:

Christmas - we aim to have Christmas Lights on North, East and West Street this year; we will print, design and publish c20,000 Bedminster Gift Guides; a web support for the gift guide; relaunch our successful Shop Local campaign (to dovetail with Covid marketing ideas; install circa 20 Santa Postboxes in shops and run a letter writing and delivery (by Elf) service. Finally we are working closely with Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade to have 20 large lanterns in shop windows to create a temporary trail - do get in touch if you would like one.
WEAREBS3.CO>UK is the BID’s free Ecommerce website. We saw a major spike in sales through this portal during the last Covid spike and would urge anyone not selling online already to get in touch.
General Covid Ideas - we aim to support the hospitality sector and outdoor seating by working with the council to create additional seating outside. We encourage all hopsitality businesses to do this where possible and think about blankets for customers plus some low cost fairy lighting (for example) in shop windows to brighten and ‘warm’ the pavements. In Scandinavia they now eat and drink outside almost every month of the year and it something we are going to have to look very closely at this winter.
Halloween - we aim to offer decent prizes for the best 20 pumpkins carved locally and create a pumpkin trail in 20 shops for a few weeks in October. If you would like a pumpkin in your shop window do get in touch.

JENN HULS/SHUTTERSTOCK

The latest business news from Bristol City Council.

View this email in your browser

New business announcements from the Chancellor

On Thursday 24 September 2020, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a series of new schemes for businesses under his Winter Economy Plan.

Here's a summary of the updates and what they mean for you:

Job Support Scheme: Replacing furlough, the Job Support Scheme allows employees to work a minimum of 33% of their hours. The company pays the employee for this work, and then the government and the company will top up the rest of the pay to 77% of their usual pay.

The scheme will start from November and last for six months. Employers do NOT need to have used the furlough scheme to use the Job Support Scheme.

Pay as You Grow: Businesses who took out a Bounce Back Loan to help with finance during the Coronavirus pandemic can extend the loans as part of a new scheme called Pay as You Grow. Businesses can pay loans back across a 10 year period, which will reduce the monthly repayments by almost half.

Loan deadline extension: The deadline for businesses wanting to apply for Coronavirus loan schemes has been pushed back until 30 November 2020. This includes the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Future Fund.

Temporary VAT cut: the temporary VAT cut - from 20% to 5% - for certain sectors like hospitality and tourism will remain until the end of March 2021.

Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) extended: Self-employed individuals who are eligible for the SEISS grant may be able to receive additional payments, as the scheme has been extended. Click here to check eligibility and apply

Click here to read more about the Winter Economy Plan on the Gov website.

WECA launches 'Workforce for the Future' programme

WECA has launched a major new skills programme to help businesses respond to the impact of COVID-19 on their employees, known as Workforce for the Future.

The free service will help SMEs upskill and retrain employees in various areas, and support them to bring in work placements and apprenticeships.

It will provide tailored, in-depth support to help businesses plan and adapt for the future by identifying current and future skills needs, implementing development plans to upskill or retrain employees, and supporting with new hires.

To find out more, click here

Ways2Work and the DWP is also calling on businesses who are able to offer placements to young people to register their interest here. These placements will be funded by the government.

Responses needed for Bristol City Council site permissions survey

Bristol City Council is improving its site permissions web pages, and needs previous users of the site to offer feedback in order to make the page as user friendly as possible.

The site permissions pages are the first port of call for anyone planning to host an event in the city using a park, open space, or street.

If you have used the site permissions web pages before, please fill out the survey by clicking here

Please note the deadline for feedback is Monday 5 October.

Quick updates

• Businesses displaying QR codes should note that whilst it isn't a legal requirement for every visitor to scan the QR code, it is a legal requirement to ask at least one member of every party to provide their name and contact details. This can be done manually using paper if the visitors don't have the NHS app. More info here

• Additionally, businesses that are obtaining customer contact details as part of contact tracing should be aware of data protection rules. Find out more here

• To mark Black History Month this October, Natwest is facilitating a series of events showcasing the achievements of Black British businesses, including: Adapting Your Networking Skills on Wednesday 7 October (12pm); An Audience with Dr Ava Eagle Brown, Dr Yvonne Thompson, Bernie Davies & Joel Blake OBE on Wednesday 14 October (10am); and Black Business Live 2020 on Thursday 22 October (8:45am).

• The next of startup platform Yena’s free-to-attend virtual Rebel Meetups is on Wednesday 7 October (5pm – 6pm), featuring an interview with the co-founder of successful local startup TrueStart Coffee; more here

• Bristol Media has rebranded and is now Bristol Creative Industries, to better reflect the breadth and depth of the city’s creative community.

• If you're a business leader with high growth plans, the Scaleup Institute wants to hear from you. Take the Institute’s ScaleUp Business Survey 2020 here so that it can gain greater insight into the challenges and opportunities you're facing.

• TravelWest is hosting an Active October challenge, encouraging people to stay active during autumn as well as using sustainable travel. To sign up and/or invite colleagues, click here

• The new name for the venue formerly known as Colston Hall has been revealed as Bristol Beacon. More here

• UWE’s Bristol Distinguished Address Series provides a unique opportunity to hear about challenges and decisions being made at the highest level of strategic leadership by high-profile business executives from across the country. This year’s autumn series, beginning Wednesday 14 October, will be online; more here

Breaking news: new Covid-19 announcements from the government

September 23, 2020 george grace

As we draft this newsletter the Chancellor is just finishing his remarks on the winter budget. Key developments:

Furlough scheme replacement

A new “jobs support scheme” to subsidise the wages of people in work to replace the furlough scheme when it ends at the end of October. Businesses will have the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours, rather than making them redundant.
Workers must work a third of their usual hours, paid by their employer as normal. For the time they are not working, the government will pay a third of their usual pay, and the employer will pay a third of their usual pay.
Including the pay for the hours they are working, the Treasury says this means workers will get 77% of their usual pay. The scheme will be targeted at businesses that need it most – all small and medium-sized firms – but only for big companies if turnover has fallen by a third.
The scheme will run for six months starting in November. Firms can claim both the jobs support scheme and the jobs retention bonus. A grant for self-employed workers will be extended on similar terms.

Business loans

“Pay as you grow” was announced to help companies repay state-backed business loans. Loans can be extended from six to 10 years, almost halving repayments. Interest-only payments can be made, and firms in “real trouble” can suspend their payouts.
All of the government’s state-backed loan schemes will be extended until the end of 2020, and the government is starting work on a new guarantee loan programme to begin in January.
The chancellor will allow businesses to spread their VAT bills over 11 separate payments.

Covid 19 Government Guidelines

In addition yesterday the Government has announced updated Covid-19 guidelines, including introducing new restrictions on businesses to help minimise the current resurgence of Coronavirus cases. These new measures will have an impact on businesses, most notably food and beverage outlets, and offices.

For the full summary of changes announced, please see here. A key summary of notable changes is included below, however please see original Governmental guidelines via gov.uk for the full measures and to ensure all elements of the new restrictions are complied with:

Food and Beverage Outlets

Businesses selling food or drink (including cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants) must be closed between 10pm and 5am. This will include takeaways but delivery services can continue after 10pm (from 24 September).
In licensed premises, food and drink must be ordered from, and served at, a table.
These measures should be in place from Thursday 24th September.

Professional Services/Office based workers:

To help contain the virus, office workers who can work effectively from home should do so over the winter.
These measures should be in place from Wednesday 23rd September.

Whilst I am sure you have seen much of this via other sources please find below the council’s note on the above. For the hospitality sector in particular please note the BID has already invested in an Ecommerce solution that enables digital table service and this is free for BID businesses to use. Do get in touch if you wish to sign up - and check it out here www.wearebs3.co.uk.

BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER - Important info and advice for businesses in Bristol

Breaking news: new Covid-19 announcements from the government

Following on from central government's announcement yesterday (22 September), there are now several changes to the way businesses can operate.

Working from home: you should now work from home where you can. If employees CANNOT work from home, they should continue to go to work as normal.

10pm curfew: Hospitality venues must have a closing time of 10pm, coming into effect on Thursday. This is a legal requirement and must be adhered to.

Table service: Hospitality venues can offer table service only. No one should order drinks at the bar, under any circumstance.

Wedding capacity reduction: Weddings are now capped at a maximum of 15 guests.

Face coverings: Wearing a face covering will become a legal requirement. As well as wearing them in shops, takeaways and other indoor communal spaces, face coverings must also be worn in hospitality venues, unless you are seated at a table.

COVID-secure workplaces: Ensuring your premises is COVID-secure will become a legal requirement. For more info on making your workplace COVID-secure, click here

We will update you with further changes as they develop. For updated coronavirus FAQs, click here

WECA launches 'Thrive at Work' campaign

Most businesses have been affected by the pandemic, and this can have negative impact on the mental health of employees.

WECA has launched a new programme of support for businesses and their staff to improve mental health and wellbeing, called Thrive at Work. In these difficult times, supporting mental health is more important than ever.

It includes free e-learning for managers in SMEs (up to 250 staff) to equip them with the confidence and skills to have supportive conversations with their staff about mental health and wellbeing. There are also lots of resources and toolkits for staff.

To find out more about Thrive at Work, click here

Please also take this survey to help WECA understand what workplace mental health looks like across our region.

Car sharing discouraged as a commuting option

Now that schools have reopened and more people are heading back into the office, it can be tempting to car share with colleagues or help out on the school run.

However, due to Covid-19, car sharing is being actively discouraged in order to slow the spread of the virus. You should not share a car with those outside of your household or support bubble.

If there is no alternative, you should wear face coverings, open windows, and face away from each other.

For more advice on car sharing, click here

Quick updates

• A reminder that if you run a hospitality venue, community centre, leisure and tourism venue or place of worship, you must display an NHS QR code outside your venue from tomorrow 24 September. Please note that this is a legal requirement. Click here for more info

• Ways2Work and Bristol City Council are encouraging Bristol employers to sign up to the Kickstart scheme, where they can hire young people on funded work placements. More info here

• Bristol City Council is looking for people who use its site permissions service to complete a survey about usability, in order to improve the overall experience. If you've used the site permissions website, you can access the survey here before the 5 October deadline.

• The Police and Crime Commissioner, Avon and Somerset Police and Golden Key are inviting local businesses to a virtual breakfast on 8 October at 10am, to encourage them to provide opportunities for young people. Reserve your place by emailing PCCMailings@avonandsomerset.police.uk

• Nominations for the Innovate UK 'Women in Innovation' awards are now open. To nominate an innovative woman to win a £50,000 grant, click here

• Businesses that offer 'experiences' such as drone flying, foraging, cookery classes and more can now sell these experiences via a new Bristol-based online marketplace. Visit Yuup.co for more info

• The Government has extended support to prevent businesses from being evicted in 2020. For more info click here

• Enterprise Nation is hosting a virtual meet up on 24 September for Bristol small businesses to discuss challenges, problem solve and get advice. Sign up here

• North Street in Bedminster has been reconstructed within a virtual world for an online version of Upfest, running between Friday 25 and Sunday 27 September. Find out more here

• Local businesses are being asked to get involved with an Above and Beyond campaign called Bristol Against Cancer, raising money to improve cancer care for patients. Click here for more

• Arts Council England has recently published research demonstrating how important culture is to our high streets; read more here

Please share this newsletter with any businesses you think would benefit from it. If they would like to receive future emails, they can click the 'Subscribe' button below.

Subscribe

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

If you are interested in becoming more closely involved with the BID, we are an informal, friendly group, whose basic duties are to direct spending for the BID and Town Team. The BID Board meets 6pm on the first Tuesday of each month online. Please do get in touch if you'd like to get involved.

Alternatively a marketing (and arts, culture) group meets on the last Monday of every month also at 6pm and a Built Environment Group on the first Tuesday monthly at 4pm - also online. Alternatively if you prefer drop us a line or telephone us for a chat to discuss any ideas you have that you think the BID should be pursuing.

About the Business Improvement District

Bedminster BID funding is generated via a small levy on all eligible businesses in the area and paid into a central 'kitty' in November each year, to be spent on projects that benefit Bedminster businesses.

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Further Information
Business to business news: www.bedminster.org.uk/business
Customer facing website and social media (these streams are owned by the BID and open for your use to announce items of interest to the local customer base - please get in touch if you have anything you wish to share):

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

Christmas is Coming!

September 23, 2020 george grace

Christmas is Coming!

Covid is coming unfortunately - but so is Christmas, and we need more than ever to get organised. We have a meeting of the BID’s marketing sub group via videocon next Monday at 6pm if you wish to attend to offer ideas, or email or alternatively call us if you prefer. Of course if you have any ideas at all on what the BID might do to support you during this clearly challenging next six months then also please do let us know.

Initial ideas for Christmas include some limited Christmas lights (as budgets are tighter this year), a gift guide and working more closely with Bedminster Lantern Parade – more details on this below including a message from the Lanterns folks.

Meanwhile we saw a major shift to online sales during the last covid spike - if you have not signed up your business to our free Ecommerce website www.wearebs3.co.uk - then please do take a good look now and let us know if you want help selling online.

Bemmy Lanterns Light Up 2020: A special BWL project to deliver pre-Christmas cheer !

With no possibility of a Parade this year, you may have heard that the Lanterns team are working with the Bedminster Business Improvement District, 7 local schools and several community groups to create a special pre-Christmas one off event. The aim is to display large and small illuminated lanterns in 20 window locations along North Street, Cannon Street, East Street, British Road and West Street in the evening from Thursday 10 to Saturday 12th December. If COVID restrictions allow, there’ll also be some live music.

Can you offer your window? We will ensure rigorous Health & Safety procedures (the lanterns will be fire-proofed for instance), and provide on-line/telephone support from a member of the BWL volunteer team. We’ll install the lanterns during the day on Thursday 10th December, and we’ll take them away on Monday 14th. We’ll also publish a simple map to ensure socially distanced spectators know you’re part of our special event.

If you can support this one-off project, please contact us on info@bwlp.org.uk and we’ll send along a member of our creative team to talk you through the logistics. Once you’ve decided to participate, we’ll issue you with a registration pack containing full details of what you can expect from us, and what’s required from you. We very much hope you’ll agree to help us brighten up BS3’s Christmas 2020!! - BWL - The Bemmy Lanterns team

Gift Guide

Most years we have designed and printed a gift guide and this year is no exception. If you wish to be included in the gift guide please contact heather@weareplaster.com

In other news…

Covid Pavement Widening on East St (image below) – we are still pressing the council to see if we can implement the covid temporary pavement widening scheme. It would be most timely now given the surge in cases. We have the designs and the funding and local councillor support.

Little Paradise Multi Storey Car park - more positively this is at planning committee next week along with the Dandara residential scheme. Fingers crossed.

153 - 155 East Street Planning Application - this is the former S&L Fabric shop. The owners in summary wish to halve the size of the shop to serve residential behind and above which we think will have a negative impact on the retail aesthetics and thus the BID intends ojecting to the development as an unnecessary negative impact on the shopping offer.

Church Road Pocket Park - is now installed and the artists have been on site this week painting up the planter/bins. I think as the plants mature this will be an excellent addition to the street especially when the old Blunts store adjacent is let (for which I understand there is good interest from a convenience store operator).

St Catherines Place - things are moving here! – please see https://www.stcatherines.place/ and 'have your say'.

North Street Consultation - to inform us on all aspects of shopping on North Street and the approach from a possible ‘Living Neighbourhoods’ possible intervention, we are about to send out a mini questionnaire on social media asking the following

How often do you visit North St Please choose the option that best matches your use of the High Street Once a day 3 - 5 times a week Once a week Once a fortnight Other
Did you use it more or less during lockdown? * More Less No Change
Why? * Please give a short explanation as to why you felt that you used North Street less
What do you love about North Street? * Share with us your favourite things! What do you think is missing? * Give us some feedback on what you think is missing and what we could improve on!
Access - do you visit North St by car, bike, bus, foot, other
Parking on North Street is important Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree · Liveable Neighbourhoods - have you seen the outline ideas for North Street [images below]. In principle are they good or bad? (see www.liveablebristol.org.uk/)

If you have any other questions you would like included then please do let us know.

East Street Covid Pavement Widening - thank you for your responses in our last newsletter. There is a firm majority in favour of piloting this scheme (provided loading is not compromised) and so we will continue to press the council to try to make it happen. Once this has been implemented we have earmarked funding to bring in a professional market operator to try to start a monthly or weekly market on East Street.

WECA Grant Funding - East Street has secured grant funding to incentivise new business openings on East Street. We are working with the council to finalise the details on this project which we hope will bring some creative new offerings to East Street and fresh footfall.

RESTAURANTS AND TAKEAWAYS

September 15, 2020 george grace

RESTAURANTS AND TAKEAWAYS - DO DELIVEROO ETC CHARGE YOU ZERO COMMISSION?

If not, you may wish to review the latest upgrade to WEAREBS3.CO.UK - the BID's online sales platform exclusively for Bedminster's high street businesses.

The BID has already made the investment so you don't have to. It costs you nothing, it's easy to use and is fast becoming the goto place for everyone in and around Bedminster to buy anything online from gifts, groceries and now takeaways. Restaurants and takeaways is the latest sector to be added and we are keen to get everyone with a food offer on North, East, West and adjacent streets online and selling.

Have a look at who's selling already on WEAREBS3.CO.UK - the benefits are significant:

Comprehensive Ecommerce solution supporting sales, collections and deliveries
Catalysing impulses purchases for and from business neighbours – just like a high street!
Unlimited number of products and orders
Comprehensive back end app for traders including product management, route planning, collection and delivery slot logic and order management
Low cost – with BID financial support and economies of scale the platform is very affordable
Technical support in set up and ongoing – including security and upgrades of the platform and all running and hosting costs

When we have a good representation from this sector we will be organising additional promotions to ensure everyone knows where and how to buy from their local eateries online. Its simple to sign up, there are no upfront charges at all and comprehensive support from our partners at WEARELOCALS.CO.UK.

So what are you waiting for!? - Email hello@wearebs3.co.uk

East Street Traders - Please let us know...

September 8, 2020 george grace

What you think of the covid pavement widening proposals summarised in this image:

The BID may be able to access funding for this however need to have an update of whether East Street businesses support it.

Please email a simple yes (I support) or no (I do not support) to business@bedminster.org.uk.

If you require more details and context, please see this report

The BID is in favour - we see the benefits as:

increase covid social distancing
enable space for a weekly or monthly outdoor market (a priority for the street traders in their recent street meeting)
create a more attractive place for shopping which is less deomiated by buses (but still allowing the same number of buses to pass through)
test some of the ideas in the longer-term, wider vision exercise to improve East Street as a place to shop and dwell (currenlty only 10% of shoppers wish to stop on East Street preferring to shop and leave all too quickly)

This initial funding would not enable the whole street to be implemented, rather to test it in some specific sections of the street (in particularly on junctions and near and adjacent to hospitality businesses).

Please let us know what you think.

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON YOUR STREET?

August 3, 2020 george grace

Once a year the BID encourages streets to meet on an individual basis as whilst there are many generic proejcts the BID can pursue to help the whole area - such as social media etc - each street is a little different. Thus coming up please remember there will be no board meeting for August, street meetings instead and organised as follows:

North Street (ie Lower or eastern end - towards Cannon St) Monday 10th August 6pm at Kask (in the Garden) - Emma from InRecovery is organising
North Street (ie Tobacco Factory end) - awaiting date
East Street Tuesday 4th August 6pm at Sea Pearl - Olivia from Bubble Cafe is organising
West Street - already completed, thanks Stef!

The aims of the meetings are to share ideas that answer the following questions:

What do we want the BID to do on this (part of) street in the next year
Fresh and outside 'the box' thinking welcomed
Feedback up to 3 ideas answering as much of what, how, who, when how much (£s) as possible

Finally below is a newsletter prepared by the city council with ‘Items of Interest’ for the retail sector in particular which I hope you find helpful. Thank you.

George

BCC - This week’s Items of Interest:

1. In line with UK Government guidance, we are in the process of contacting eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses from across the city to let them know they can apply for a full business rates discount. To be eligible for the discount, retail, hospitality and leisure businesses must occupy their premises and meet certain criteria. If you think your business may qualify, you can apply here. Non-profit voluntary and community organisations may also be eligible for discretionary relief of up to 100% on business rates; find out more here. If you have any questions about business rates and discounts, you can call us on: 0117 922 3300 or email: business.rates@bristol.gov.uk.

2. A virtual Black Professionals Network event designed to help black and minority professionals navigate the employment market in the Covid crisis takes place tomorrow, Tuesday 28 July (6pm-7.30pm); more here.

3. The next Enterprise Nation virtual meet up for small businesses in Bristol is on Wednesday 29 July (10am-12pm); book here.

4. Through various free-to-access materials, including a toolkit and branding, the citywide marketing campaign, Bristol Together, supports local businesses as they safely reopen. The campaign is a partnership initiative from Bristol City Centre BID, Visit Bristol and Broadmead BID, working with Business West and the One City Economy Board; more here.

5. Recently updated official guidance relating to reduced rates of VAT for certain types of businesses can be accessed here.

6. The next round of the Social Enterprise Support Fund opens on Thursday 13 August and closes on Thursday 20 August. Grants of between £10k and £300k are available; more here.

7. How is your business adapting to the new normal? Business West has recently launched its Covid-19 Business Impact Survey. They want to find out more about your business recovery, business operations and future planning. Take part here.

8. And Bristol Food Union are carrying out a survey of Bristol food businesses to get their input into how the Food Union can best support the city’s food & hospitality sector in the future; take the survey here. And if you are a restaurant, community project or food/drink retailer and would like to be added to the Food Union’s shop listing please contact listings@bristolfoodunion.org or fill out the form here; and if a farmer or local food producer please contact: bristolfoodproducers@gmail.com.

9. Read more about the Creative Youth Network’s plans to transform derelict former magistrates’ courts in the centre of Bristol into a vibrant creative hub here.

10. Business in the Community’ s National Business Response Network is a platform to connect business to urgent local community need across the UK during the Covid-19 crisis. If you’re a business who can help or a community group who needs help please get in touch here or email tracy.rees@bitc.org.uk. And see attached information about NBRN’s mobile device and laptop appeal through which you can donate your pre-loved devices to charities helping disadvantaged families.

11. View a list of regional finalists from the South West for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2020 here.

12. 85,000 online businesses have been launched during lockdown in the UK, according to this recent article, and the South West has seen the most of such activity.

We actively encourage recipients of this weekly email to share all or part of it with their colleagues and associates. If, however, you would like to receive it direct please email the address below, and please email me if you wish to unsubscribe.

And remember you can also follow us on Twitter at @ShopLocalBris

Kind regards,

Declan Murphy

Town & District Centres Liaison Officer

Bristol City Council

T: 0117 922 3546

E: declan.murphy@bristol.gov.uk

Help Ensure a New Multi Storey Car Park is Built on Little Paradise

July 28, 2020 george grace

The council is consulting on the building of a new multi storey car park on the existing Little Paradise Car Park. We believe this is essential to help ensure the future of East Street however we need your help in order the council can see it is supported locally. Please take 60 seconds to go to the consultation website and click the ‘support’ option - CLICK HERE.

Similarly we believe the proposed residential development adjacent to the car park that will provide homes for nearly 500 people and thus regular shoppers on East Street will provide a major boots to local demand. If you agree please show your support for this develoment by clicking here. I

t only takes a minute and could make all the difference - we have already seen the failure of St Catherines Place at the planning hurdle - it is essential that this investment is able to move forward given the further departures of Boots and others from East Street.

Many thanks.

Online Sales - John Lewis Report Massive 2/3rds Growth During Covid

July 13, 2020 george grace

John Lewis and other major retailers are reporting extraordinary 60-70% growth in online sales during covid - its clearly now time everyone was selling online.

If you have not had a chance yet, please check out the FREE e-commerce online sales platform launched by the BID for Bedminster businesses:

www.wearebs3.co.uk

Its very easy to sell online as you will have full technical back up courtesy of our tech partners and everything can be managed through your mobile phone. In addition to collaborating around sales by encouraging as many of Bedminster’s businesses online in a single website presence, we are also launching a collaborative deliveries scheme to help businesses not to just sell more but also to save money. All of this is of course supported by the BID’s social media marketing platforms that helped us launch with substantial sales of over £40K without spending any money on advertising.

To get online quickly, easily and for free - please click here.

There are many benefits - below - or if you wish to discuss matters first then please contact us via email or call us - see below.

WEAREBS3 Benefits

Comprehensive Ecommerce solution supporting sales, collections and deliveries

Catalysing impulses purchases for and from business neighbours – just like a high street!
Unlimited number of products and orders
Comprehensive back end app for traders including product management, route planning, collection and delivery slot logic and order management
Low cost – with BID financial support and economies of scale the platform is very affordable
Technical support in set up and ongoing – including security and upgrades of the platform and all running and hosting costs

FREE MONEY HERE!

The Small Business Discretionary Grants phase two – round two of the Discretionary Grant has been extended by the council until midnight Sunday, 19 July 2020. The council have only received just over 150 applications during round two, and believe many more businesses in the city could benefit from the grants, they’re extending the deadline to ensure they can support as many businesses as possible. Businesses are still strongly encouraged to review the application form as soon as possible to ensure they can submit evidence of how a loan would support them within the extended deadline. Please see the application form and share with local businesses with 49 or fewer employees. Further information on eligibility is available on our website.

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

July Newsletter - More Government Initiatives

July 9, 2020 george grace

Good Morning

There is almost too much information to share following the Chancellor’s announcement this week. On top of cuts to VAT, the headline is the:

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

It will incentivise customers to eat in your restaurant or other eating establishment by giving them a discount which you can then claim back from the government. The scheme is UK wide and customers will be able to see who is taking part on GOV.UK. The scheme will drum up custom on quieter days of the week and means you can build your business back up. HMRC have made registration as simple as possible. Find out how to register on GOV.UK.

Closer to home, ie next to East Street:

Bedminster Green Developments and Multi Storey Car Park

There are five key developments in and around East Street that we believe will bring many more local customers to East Street. One of them is next to Little Paradise Car Park and going through the planning process currently. The council’s process reviews local support for and against these developments. The BID has made clear its support for this latest development - if you wish to register support for it also then please click here - it only takes a minute.

As well as more than 300 new homes, the total reworking of Stafford Street and Little Paradise to create a safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle route through to East Street, and helping deliver the MetroBus route and stop, those residents will generate much-needed spending in our shops.

Similarly, for the proposed multi storey car park to replace the current surface level only car park on Little Paradise - this is a most helpful in terms of more car borne acccess immediately adjacent to East Street. Again please click on this link and leave a message to support.

Other useful news (provided by the council):

1. Applications for the second round of the Small Business Discretionary Grant for local businesses with 49 or fewer employees close at midnight on Sunday 12 July. Businesses are strongly encouraged to review the application form as soon as possible to ensure they can submit evidence of how a grant would support them within the deadline.

2. As we move towards recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, local authorities are required to have a COVID-19 management plan for controlling and preventing the spread of the virus. Our Outbreak Management Plan outlines measures to identify and contain local outbreaks, and protect the public’s health; read more here.

3. A city-wide marketing campaign, Bristol Together, has recently launched to support local businesses as they safely reopen. This is a partnership initiative from Bristol City Centre BID, Visit Bristol and Broadmead BID, working with Business West and the One City Economy Board; more here.

5. Black South West Network (BSWN) is partnering with NatWest's Back Her Business initiative to provide critical support and guidance for Black & Asian women entrepreneurs who have been impacted by COVID-19. To launch the programme, a webinar event will take place on Monday 20 July (5pm-7pm); more here.

6. Small businesses in the West of England will get free help to manage their finances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to a new programme from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA); more here.

7. And Business West has launched a Finance Hub to connect borrowers, lenders and investors; more here.

8. Read more about the UK Government’s recently announced �1.57bn support package for cultural and heritage organisations here.

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

Table Ordering App - for hospitality businesses

July 6, 2020 george grace

Table Ordering App - for hospitality businesses

As you will know we have been working closely with a local tech company to try to get as many of Bedmisnter’s shops online as quickly as possible at www.wearebs3.co.uk. The same company has now just launched a table ordering app specifically for the hospitality sector

This weekend they successfully launched the pilot and processed 400+ in-house table service orders at No1 Harbourside. They are now turning on the next few establishments with a view that this coming weekend can support click and collect / takeaway options. They have also built in contact tracing with some clever 'self destruct in 21 days' logic, as well as support for in house collection point ordering. You can check the front end out here.... https://bristolmenu.com/ - and get the app by emailing hello@wearebs3.co.uk - mention you are a BID member and you will recieve 50% off the £1 daily charge to use it.

Outside Seating

The council are considering applications to use public spaces for outside seating on suspended car parking spaces or temporary closure of roads. If you wish to consdier this type of request pleae be aware of:

The new Government guidance contained in this link and ensure you are able to follow its requirements: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb96e8e86650c278b077616/Keeping-workers-and-customers-safe-during-covid-19-restaurants-pubs-bars-takeaways-230620.pdf

Bristol City Council’s guidance at: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/web/guest/business-support-advice/covid-19-reopen-hospitality-business and https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-ask-to-use-outside-space-next-to-hospitality-business

Once you have read the above please provide the Council with details on what space you would like to use with a drawing if possible. Please include how many tables and chairs will be in the space, how much space you want to use (metres) and what days/times. Your request will then be considered by relevant officers and we will come back to you with a decision. Send request to business@bristol.gov.uk

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

Reopening your hospitality business

July 3, 2020 george grace

Reopening your hospitality business

The council have published plenty of guidance on reopening hospitality businesses and working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) from this weekend.

Please see Reopening Bristol’s bars, pubs and restaurants guide (pdf, 867KB) (opens new window) for information on:

proposals for timed road closures
proposals to allow hospitality businesses to use more tables and chairs outside, to enable social distancing
how to supply alcohol safely and restrictions on entertainment
proposals for deliveries, waste collections and toilets
marshalling and social distancing
protecting local amenities such as parking and pavement access, and the impact on residents
changes to roads and road closures

Also How to safely reopen bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes summary (pdf, 75KB) (opens new window) has information on:

health and safety, including handwashing, toilets, legionella and ventilation
risk assessments
social distancing
food safety

There is also guidance for outside space - ask to use outside space next to your business to help you reopen in a safe and economically viable way.

Please send requests to business@bristol.gov.uk

North Street Pavements

We have been liaising closely with the council to try to ensure the pavements on North Street have been widened in a way that both serves covid safety and enables the hospitality sector to create more space outside their premises. If you are unhappy with any of the arrangements please email or call - details below.

East Street Pavements

We have commissioned a detailed covid survey of East Street and delivered it to the council however sadly it is not currently considered a high priority given the space for movement relative to ohter streets. We will continue to press for this to be actioned as soon as possible.

Meeting for Hospitality Sector

We are hosting an online video ‘zoom’ meeting on Monday at 2pm. Please click https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87930355080

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

Pavement Barriers on North Street - from Delighted to Distraught

June 30, 2020 george grace

What do you think of the new barriers on North Street?!

I was on North Street today and have a meeting with BCC highways on Thursday PM to recommend changes. I wish to have a consensus picture in my mind by then as the council are clearly trying to be accomodating of business needs.

Most businesses I have spoken to are understanding of the challenge and cautiously positive to the new layouts in this age of Covid; a few of you are distraught; and some are delighted. Please read on and let me know of any further questions, concerns, ideas or clarifications you have as soon as possible.

Urgent Concerns (Distraught)

Western End of North St
- 259 - Clarkes Pies - loading issues
- 267 - Fishminster - prefer to have parking outside
- 269 Ashton Fruit and Veg - need loading bay in front of shop clear and would prefer cps adjacent to be clear
- Mixed p/d residents parking on North Street and adjacent side streets. Could these be temporarily converted to dedicated p/d?
Eastern End of North St
Generally we requested and and see the need for much less intervention here and would prefer to see at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the barriers taken out to increase parking, especially those spaces not in front of hospitality type businesses.
1. 56-58 North St - InRecovery. Needs parking outside/near shop for customers mainly but also deliveries. Thus please reduce number of spaces taken by new barriers. Similar principle for many businesses here except hospitality
2. 62 North St as above

Principles of Use by Hospitality Sector

One of our hopes from the barriers is not just covid safety but also creating outdoor pavement space for hospitality sector businesses. For example I have spoken with several hospitality businesses and the hope here is that any space in front of their business beyond say circa 2.5m width for pedestrian flow may be used for dedicated seating? Clarity on this is important as we can then:

provide pavement markings delineating dedicated hospitality business seating space
provide some pavement markings to direct pedestrians away from the seating
improve the bollards to make the place look less like a building site and more like a place people will wish to go (eg artwork, both 2D and 3D)

Below is a list of the businesses that would benefit from the above and some which are not accommodated in the above but would require some sort of assistance via this approach and thus any further ideas are welcomed. Side streets for example are an alternative to suspending car parking spaces and I think 1-way pavements are a useful idea) the western end of North St businesses consulted supported this but the eastern end did not). I would also seek to slow traffic where there are 1 way pavements as people will need to cross more often.

Other Key Questions Requiring Answers

How long will this go on for?

Hospitality Businesses on North St (not exhaustive)

(those underlined are PM type operations (including sale of alcohol) and would require largely lunchtime through evening; others are cafe requiring daytime only mostly). Any assistance to create outside space will be helpful.

12 sweven (ability to create space in adjacent side street)
36 nordic cafe
51 kask (permission required to extend all the way to the ebenezer pocket park)
57 friendly records
60 albatross
81 flip cafe
139 spotted cow
181 enids fish bar
234 tin can (ability to create space in adjacent exeter side street)
252 parsons (ability to create space in adj gathorpe st)
273 savana
277 souk (ability to create space in adj raleigh road)
tobacco factory (ability to create space in adj
291 bristol beer factory
298 el rincon

I look forward to hearing from you. Please email or call - details below. Finally on this there will be a Zoom meeting for anyone in the pub and related hospitality sector on Monday at 2pm. Again please do get in touch if you are interested.

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

JUNE NEWSLETTER II - POSTERS AND PAVEMENTS

June 24, 2020 george grace

Good Morning

We hope this finds you well as many of you prepare for reopening for business.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORT (ie town planning, parking etc issues)

PAVEMENT WIDENING ETC - we have been liaising with the council regarding proposals that are soon to come into force on North Street. We have sought to find a balance between keeping people safe as the top priority, enabling access and parking for cars and at the same time some space for people to stop and enjoy the street. We are awaiting more fine detail of the proposals from the council and will share when we have them also some letters have been distributed to North St indicating extensive suspension of car parking spaces in the western end of North Street. We have asked if this can be scaled back in favour of balancing a little more in favour of car parking provision.

Meanwhile East Street is not part of the initial priorities given there is more space here and less traffic to threaten/injure people stepping into the road. However we think matters are urgent on East Street for many reasons and have prepared a plan. Pleae click on the link and let us know what you think:

EAST STREET PAVEMENTS PLAN

Also on this subject we expect to see our contractors on site for the new pocket park on East Street being built opposite East Street Fruit and Veg - watch this space!

BID Marketing Post-Lockdown

We have designed and printed posters and floor stickers which have been distributed to all customer facing businesses - or at least we tried. If you did not receive anything you can pick some up at Wilko (in ‘click and collect’) on East St or Upfest on North St.

Marketing sub group meets every last Monday of the month via online zoom at 6pm. Please get in touch if you wish to contribute to the plans.

BID E-COMMERCE NOW LIVE AND FREE FOR BID MEMBERS

As reported the BID’s main focus since the lockdown is to provide a high quality Ecommerce option for businesses enabling them sell more and collaborate on deliveries. Please see:

www.wearebs3.co.uk

…and get in touch if you wish to trade on the site – there is no charge for BID members. In the first month without any support marketing spend the site generated £25,000 of sales.

COVID Safe

There is much to do in order to both trade safely and given the perception of trading safely. The government have released this document which is well worth reading: Shops and branches - Guidance for people who work in or run shops, branches, stores or similar environments.

SAFETY SCREENS - local producer Foremost have informed us of a range of screens they are providing to enable shops to return to trading safely - see https://www.foremostsigns.co.uk/

PPE - there are now many suppliers out there as you prepare to reopen safely. We wanted to flag an organisation that help people that need PPE find certified quality products, at the best price , as quickly as possible and from multiple verified sources - please see https://ppe4people.org/

Finally there is also a national BID buying group seeking discounts for BID businesses across the country - please find details here: https://mailchi.mp/d81f3dc5b988/ppe-guide-price

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.

JUNE NEWSLETTER - GET READY!

June 5, 2020 george grace

Good Morning

We hope this finds you well as many of you prepare for reopening for business on 15th June.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORT (ie town planning, parking etc issues)

PAVEMENT WIDENING ETC - there are many challenges that need to be addressed as more customers return to some streets with very narrow pavements making safe passage quite challenging. We are in discussions with the council regarding North Street in particular to see if 1-way pavements and or temporary suspensions of car parking spaces is the best option. If you have a business in this street please let us know your thoughts and ideas.

Similarly and differently on East Street there are different challenges and opportunities. The BID has just engaged the services of transport and design specialists to plan and lay out a specific narrow carriageway for buses to adhere to and widen pavements considerably. More details to follow, but the aim is to maintain access whilst improving movement for shoppers. If you have a business on East Street please get in touch so we can share and discuss the ideas properly with you.

BID Marketing Post-Lockdown

We are designing and printing posters and floor stickers which we hope to distriubte to you in the next week. The themes/messages are:

posters - we are open
floor stickers - welcome back plus and undertone of being safe

Other initiatives we are working up and promoting via the social media feeds and press include Father's Day; campsites and picnicing in Ashton Court; shared baskets for picnicing and days out on/near retail streets; end of lockdown; ‘staycation’ activity; trails of gnomes(!) and maybe at the end of the summer a close the road party.

BID E-COMMERCE NOW LIVE AND FREE FOR BID MEMBERS

As reported the BID’s main focus since the lockdown is to provide a high quality Ecommerce option for businesses enabling them sell more and collaborate on deliveries. Please see:

www.wearebs3.co.uk

…and get in touch if you wish to trade on the site – there is no charge for BID members. In the first month without any support marketing spend the site generated £25,000 of sales.

COVID Safe

SAFETY POSTERS - we are not printing these ourselves however some sources are indicating that posting these are mandatory. Mandatory or not they are certainly good advice for all businesses to stay safe and I am sure customers will appreciate seeing them and businesses acting on them.

SAFETY SCREENS - local producer Foremost have informed us of a range of screens they are providing to enable shops to return to trading safely - see https://www.foremostsigns.co.uk/

Finally there is also a national BID buying group seeking discounts for BID businesses across the country - please find details here: https://mailchi.mp/d81f3dc5b988/ppe-guide-price

COVID News from Bristol City Council

£10,000 Grants for High Street Businesses - we are informed some businesses have still not claimed their £10,000. There are few strings attached to this and so if you have not applied for you grant please do make sure you start the process – please go to https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-rates/grant-funds

There is such a wide range of support it is difficult to sort wheat from chaff - this is a useful 'finder' - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder to try to ensure you are signed up for all that you are legible for.

For up to date details of the council’s activities regarding Covid please goto https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-information-for-businesses

COVID News from Central Government

Official guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic - the UK Government is hosting a series of webinars covering the range of different types of workplace settings which are allowed to be open, including: factories/warehouses; restaurants offering takeaway/delivery; shops/branches; vehicles; construction/outdoor work; research facilities; offices/contact centres; and homes. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace so you may need to use more than one of the guides/webinars as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe; further details of the webinars here.

Bounce Back Loans - Britain’s small businesses are able to apply for quick and easy-to access loans of up to £50,000– with the cash expected to land within days. See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-bounce-back-loans-to-launch-today.

PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID

Our stated priorities are to:

Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs

Contacts

George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org

We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.