Our response to reports about COVID-19 funding for hunting businesses

There were reports in the media over the weekend about Shropshire Council providing funding to businesses involved in hunting.

You can read our response below.

Peter Nutting, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:

“On 1 April – through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Fund, and Retail Hospitality & Leisure Grant Fund – the Government provided Shropshire Council with £91m to pass on to Shropshire’s small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, providing they meet the criteria set by the Government.

“Businesses in receipt of small business rate relief qualified for a small business grant of £10,000. Business with a rateable value of less than £51,000 that qualify for the enhanced retail, hospitality and leisure relief qualified for a grant of either £10,000 or £25,000 depending on their rateable value.

“There was no other limitation of the award of the grant, so if the businesses referred to met the criteria set by Government – and after Shropshire Council had carried out appropriate due diligence to eliminate the possibility of fraud – there was a legal obligation to award them funding.

“To date this funding has benefited approximately 7000 of the county’s businesses and provided around £80m of grants into Shropshire’s economy, helping businesses to continue in their premises, re-open to the public and replenish their stocks.”

For more information about the funding, click here.