HELP FOR BUSINESSES

As you may be aware, the Government has announced a package of measures following the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

  • Retail Discount increased from 50% to 100% for 2020/21, and rateable value threshold removed
  • Scope of Retail Discount extended to include all retail, leisure, and hospitality businesses
  • £10,000 grant to all businesses eligible for either small business relief or retail discount (rateable value up to £15,000)
  • £25,000 grant to all businesses eligible for retail discount (rateable value between £15,000 and but under £51,000)

How to Claim Your Grant Payment

If you are eligible, in order to claim the grant, please use the following link to access the on-line grant request form:

As the grant payments will be paid by BACS, the on-line form will require your bank details. Please note that we still require the form to be submitted even if you currently pay rates by direct debit. This is because we are required to collect the information to carry out post payment assurance checks.

Funds are due to be paid to the council by Government around 1 April 2020. Your request will be reviewed, and payment made as soon as is possible after 1 April 2020.

If you are responsible for multiple business properties, you should make a separate request for each individual property.

In cases where it is clear that the rating list was inaccurate on the 11 March 2020 we may make a decision to withhold the grant and/or award the grant based on who we believe would have been entitled to the grant had the list been accurate.

Please note that the grant is for the ratepayer and the Council may take steps to recover the grant if the recipient was not the ratepayer on the eligible day. The Government will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud. Any business caught falsifying their records to gain additional grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back.

State Aid

As the award of relief and grants could be classed as State Aid, Local Authorities have a duty to consider and comply with European Commission State Aid legislation. Although the United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020, under the Withdrawal Agreement, State Aid continues to apply during the transition period.

The EU has increased the de mimimus threshold to €800,000 (over a 3 year period). Therefore, we have awarded relief and grants to businesses up to this threshold. However, if you believe the award for your particular business will exceed this threshold, please contact the council to discuss. 

Further details on State Aid can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/state-aid
Cabinet Office update: 

The Government has taken further action to support firms affected by COVID-19 by bolstering business interruption loans for small businesses and announcing a new scheme for larger companies.

Extended Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) 
The Government has extended the CBILS so that all viable small businesses affected by COVID-19, and not just those unable to secure regular commercial financing, will now be eligible should they need finance to keep operating during this difficult time. 

The government is also stopping lenders from requesting personal guarantees for loans under £250,000 and making operational changes to speed up lending approvals. The government will continue to cover the first twelve months of interest and fees.

Please find further details here:  https://bit.ly/UpdatedCBILS

New Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS)
The new CLBILS will ensure that more firms are able to benefit from government-backed support during this difficult time. It will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million. 

Loans backed by a guarantee under CLBILS will be offered at commercial rates of interest and further details of the scheme will be announced later this month.

Please find initial details here:  https://bit.ly/NewCLBIL
The weather forecast for this coming Sunday is predicted as being dry and fine with long sunny spells with temperatures approaching 20 degrees. As much as it may be tempting to venture out, please do follow government advice and stay at home, apart from the recommended outings for essential shopping and an hour’s exercise keeping 2m’s apart at all times.

We cannot risk putting the NHS under any further stress.

The COVID-19 outbreak is forcing millions of employees to work from home. This means countless organisations are faced with a unique challenge: how to keep as many business-critical functions running as possible whilst maintaining adequate security.
During these unprecedented times Gunnersbury Park will remain open 7 days a week for the local community to exercise. Please enjoy the park responsibly, following Government guidance at all times, and remember to check our website and social media accounts to keep up to date with park news.

Keeping yourself safe
Our main priority is to keep our visitors and safe during this time. Make sure to maintain a 2 metre distance from other visitors in the park when visiting, and follow the link for Government updates.
Good News:
Syon House with blue lighting for the NHS 
The Clap for the NHS, on Thursdays at 8.00 pm, is now becoming a regular occurrence. It is amazing how uplifting those 60 seconds are - making a noise, alongside your neighbours.
  • Excel centre turned into a Nightingale hospital for 4,000 people in 2 weeks.


  • The NHS asks for 250k volunteers and gets a million. 


  • An F1 team (Mercedes) joins forces with University College London and within 100 hours produces a breathing aid.


  • James Dyson designed, and is now set to produce ventilators in under 10 days.


  • Brunel University have developed COVID-19 self-test kits showing results in 45 minutes via an App which is about to be rolled out.
Watch the best of British theatre for free

While you can't come to the theatre, we're bringing the theatre to you.

Join us every Thursday for much-loved National Theatre Live productions, free to stream on YouTube for seven days.

National Theatre at Home launches with  One Man, Two Guvnors  this Thursday, followed by  Jane Eyre Treasure Island  and  Twelfth Night , with more titles to be announced.

One Man, Two Guvnors  streaming premiere at 7pm BST on Thursday 2 April. 
Available on demand until 9 April.
Hounslow Chamber of Commerce is the primary support, networking, and representation organisation in west London for SMEs.

We support the interests, the commercial aspirations and the investment for some 18,000 firms - from Chiswick to Feltham, Heathrow to Osterley and Brentford to Bedfont - the Chamber is the voice for all businesses located in the borough.