District councillors have set out their plans to help the Hambleton economy get back on its feet in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
Members of the council’s cabinet have today agreed to recommend the Covid-19 economic response and recovery flan to full council later this month for final approval.
They want the plan to help address the significant challenges faced by local businesses over the last nine months, with restrictions on trading, difficulty in accessing the market and changes to consumer trading habits all contributing to a downward impact on the local economy.
“Covid19 has had a massive impact on our economy with businesses across all sectors affected,” said deputy leader of the council, Councillor Peter Wilkinson.
“The full impact of the pandemic won’t be known for some time but this plan will lead us towards the ultimate recovery of our economy – our businesses are at the forefront of delivering a vibrant future for Hambleton communities so it is vital we work with them to get them back on track.
“Starting tomorrow all council car parks will be free up until 3 January. This demonstrates our commitment to practically supporting the economic recovery of our district as much as we possibly can.
“Free parking will hopefully boost festive shoppers’ spirits and to encourage people to shop local in the build up to Christmas.”
The council has already launched its Enjoy Hambleton Safely campaign which has provided promotional resources for businesses.
New packs of material are going to them this week as the area moves into the Tier 2 restrictions on December 2.
And it has overseen the distribution of government grants and provided operational guidance.
The plan backs the North Yorkshire and York Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) plan which aims to reshape the economy and see the county emerge from covid19 a greener, fairer and stronger place – protecting existing jobs and businesses and providing new job opportunities.
“Our plan supports this vision taking businesses through the response stage we are still in and into the post covid19 world 18 months hence,” added Cllr Wilkinson.
Be the first to comment