Published: 2024-02-27 by, News Team in the Business & Finance news category

Hounslow Council to Return Over £1M In COVID Relief Funding

A Chiswick business owner was shocked when his request for Covid business rates relief was denied. Nick Jenkins, who runs a small language school with his wife, caters to foreign exchange students, NHS workers, and local au pairs.

During the pandemic, his business, SpeakEasy, endured an eight-month closure, severely impacting its operations. Despite applying for relief like many others, Hounslow Council deemed his business ineligible, resulting in a loss of substantial financial support.

Nick expressed frustration, citing neighboring boroughs like Ealing, where similar businesses received significant relief. Despite facing prolonged closure and financial strain, SpeakEasy was overlooked for assistance while multinational corporations and even a private school's boathouse received funding.

Upon investigating the council's decision-making process, Nick was astonished to discover that funds remained unallocated. Despite this, the council opted to return £1.2m to the government rather than assist struggling businesses like his.

Councillor Shantanu Rajawat defended the decision, attributing it to uncertainties in demand and the need to balance support with available funds. However, Nick remains deeply frustrated by what he perceives as a lack of support from the council, despite evidence of unallocated resources.

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