"Genuine Cornwall-owned businesses" will be the ones receiving grants this lockdown - not second home owners.

This is the message from Cornwall Council, as it explained more about the criteria for who is receiving money.

The council said that, as with the previous Government business support scheme, businesses eligible to apply for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) are determined by criteria set by the Government, not Cornwall Council. 

These include properties declared as holiday lets and registered for business rates, but not second homes.

There are currently more than 23,000 properties in Cornwall registered as a second home or holiday let and more than 13,000 of these pay council tax.

Of the 10,000 holiday lets that are registered for business rates, as classified by the Government’s Valuation Office Agency, just over 7,600 previously received a business grant in accordance with the Government’s criteria the first time around - and, if impacted by the current lockdown, will be eligible to apply for further assistance in accordance with the Government's new LRSG scheme.

The council said these figures showed that more than two thirds have not been eligible for the mandatory Government business grants.

No second home has received such a grant because second homes are not on the business rates register.

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Tim Dwelly, Cornwall Council, portfolio holder for the economy, said: “We have been saying to Government for some time that its approach in allowing second home-owners to claim to be a holiday let business and register for business rates is a mistake.

"The rules should be tighter with the Government requiring evidence rather than the owner being able to declare that a property is available as a holiday let. 

“I believe that all holiday lets should be registered for council tax rather than business rates, this would make the system so much simpler and boost the council’s income for services.

“The council’s priority is to support genuine Cornwall-owned businesses and that’s who we will be prioritising with the funds that we have a say on.”  

The Government has allocated £11.4 million to Cornwall Council for additional restriction grants and the council has now launched that scheme. 

The council is working with Cornwall’s business leaders to ensure the application process put in place for these grants is targeted at those who need it most. 

More details are available at www.cornwall.gov.uk/businesssupportgrant