Restarting Business in North Tyneside

Businesses which are NOT permitted to re-open are bowling alleys, indoor skating rinks, casinos, exhibition halls and conference centres, nightclubs, dance halls, discotheques, sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars and indoor play areas, including soft-play areas. Guidance can be found here.

Workplace Ready

Every sector must think about how they are going to socially distance staff and customers from themselves and each other.

There’s guidance available for close contact services; construction and other outdoor work; factories, plants & warehouses; heritage locations; hotels and other guest accommodation; other people’s homes; restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services; shops and branches; vehicles; and the visitor economy. This can all be found here.

When you’re looking at your premises, assess whether it is something you can do safely and use one-way system if necessary to keep your distance.

Put markers on the floor or move desks apart, put a screen up at the tills, close changing rooms and use appropriate PPE.

Let’s be sensible and support each other to keep distance.

Here’s some of the things you may not have thought about in preparation for re-opening…don’t forget to carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment and check the guidance for your sector on the Government website

Employers should also display a notice visibly in their shop windows or outside their store to show their employees, customers and other visitors that they have followed this guidance. Any business with over 50 employees is expected to display this. You can download the poster here

Test & Trace

The NHS Test and Trace service is really important in preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Depending on the nature of your business, you may need to collect details and maintain
records of staff, customers and visitors to your premises to support NHS Test and Trace.

You can check whether you are one of the organisations that should be collecting this
information here.

If this requirement does apply to you, you should keep a temporary record of your customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your business and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if requested.

Employees must not attend the workplace if they have symptoms of coronavirus – they must isolate at home with their household and book a test.

Local Outbreak Plan

North Tyneside Council recently published an outbreak control plan for North Tyneside. The plan sets out how we are working together to prevent outbreaks in the borough and if we should experience an outbreak how we will respond. The plan is important as it can help us to avoid a local lockdown like we have recently seen in other areas of the country.

You can find a letter to businesses here and an Action Card for businesses here

Support not report

We’re asking members of the public to also support businesses as they adapt to the new challenges of reopening. So, if you visit a business, whether that’s a shop, office, factory, and see a mistake around social distancing, or PPE, for example, don’t take photos and ‘shame’ them on social media. Instead speak to staff or the owner and let them know your concerns. Support them. Don’t report them.

Everything is new to businesses when reopening and business owners are trying their best to make it safe for everyone and run their business. Let’s help each other.

*Of course if it is a big issue, do report it through the appropriate channels.

North Tyneside Business Recovery Programme

Quick-access, free and practical hands-on support for North Tyneside businesses to aid their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital, Business Rescue, Low Carbon and Sales support including identifying new markets, online trading & booking systems, social media support, financial and business advice to trade out of difficulty and more.

More info can be found on the North Tyneside Council website here

Regional and National Recovery Funding, Support & Advice

We’re working with the North East Growth Hub to highlight regional and national support schemes to help out businesses recover from the pandemic. There are a range of fully funded, pro-bono and grant funds available to businesses over the coming months.

Regionally (Tyne & Wear, Durham & Northumberland)

• BT Small Business Support Scheme – boost connectivity, cash flow and confidence. This includes funding for ultrafast business connections; bursaries for UK tech start-ups and support for small businesses through mentoring. Read more
• North East Fund – provide loans or equity investment, ranging from £20k to £1m+ to help North East companies sustain their activities and to grow. Read more
• Open North Foundation – £1-5k grants for business with job growth prospects. Read more

Nationally

• SME Restart & Recovery Grant – £1-3k grants for consultancy & technology. A national fund, delivered regionally by North East Growth Hub. Read more Open from 10 Aug for Expressions of Interest.
• Kickstarting Tourism – £1-3k grants for consultancy & technology. A national fund, delivered regionally by North East Growth Hub. Read more Open from 10 Aug for Expressions of Interest.
• Culture Recovery Fund – £50k to £2m grants for the support art forms delivered by Arts Council, England. Opens 10 Aug. Read more
• Hiring Apprentices funding – £2,000 for each new apprentice hired by Jan 2021. Read more

Temporary reduced rate of VAT for hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions

Guidance is now available for businesses to reduce rate of VAT from 20% to 5% from 15 July until January 2021. Guidance is available for Hospitality, Hotel and holiday accommodation, Admission to certain attractions, The Flat Rate Scheme, The Tour Operators Margin Scheme and Accounting for supplies that straddle the temporary reduced rate.

Further detail and how to apply the reduction can be found on the Government website here

Eat Out to Help Out

Businesses can register their restaurant or establishment for the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. Eligible businesses can register for the scheme from 13 July 2020. Registration will close on 31 August.

Businesses can register if their establishment:

• sells food for immediate consumption on the premsises
• provides its own dining area or shares a dining area with another establishment for eat-in meals
• was registered with North Tyneside Council as a food business on or before 7 July

Guidance on eligibility and how to apply can be found here

Covid Supplies

When doing a risk assessment, think about what products you need to keep your staff and customers safe. Have you thought that there may be local businesses out there that can supply these items?  Members can buy from each other in our dedicated Facebook Group.

If you would like to share messages of support for the Restarting Business in North Tyneside Campaign, we have made easily accessible all of our graphics, these can be downloaded here