Lay My Hat

Having read all of the "Coronavirus Grant" posts, I've not discovered anything covering my query. So here goes.

We have a Holiday Lodge, not far from our home in the Lake District, which we are allowed by the LA to rent out as FHL 39 weeks per year. Every year it easily achieves 35 weeks/245 days and the income represents a welcome addition to our state pensions.

As a leashold property, we pay site fees to the Park Owner; as do the other approx 40 Holiday Lodge owners on the site. These site fees include an amount for "Rates" in every quarterly invoice. This means we are not the Business Rates Account Holder.
Our LA website info on the Covid Small Business Grant requires that we should be the Business Rates Account Holder to be able to apply for the grant.
I emailed their revenues dept with this query well over a week ago, and again recently... but have recieved no reply other than a "we'll get back to you" response.

Anyone out there in a similar position... or that can offer a solution, or advice?

Pilchard said

Our LA website info on the Covid Small Business Grant requires that we should be the Business Rates Account Holder to be able to apply for the grant.

It’s the government guidance on who is eligible that says you must be in receipt of full relief from Business Rates to be eligible. I don’t think the local authorities have any discretion, they were given the money according to the numbers of eligible businesses already known to the government and they are just the conduit.

It may be that your Park Owner has received the larger grant, which in fairness could be passed on to some degree to lodge owners (I mean morally) although the owner may argue that his income is affected if amenities such as a shop, bar etc are all closed.

Do you have an owners group? Alternatively, you could contact your MP but there are other people slipping through the net such as owners of FHLs who have not been in business long enough to meet the criteria.

I would look to see what other payments you are eligible for.

Hi zebedee, thanks for the reply.


"It may be that your Park Owner has received the larger grant..."
"amenities such as a shop, bar etc..."

He has advised that he has recieved the "Small Business Support grant". Probably £25,000. This has allowed him to suspend his service charge for the current quarter (Wow! £400 to offset our 11k losses) to all lodge owners, and leave him more than he could possibly need to maintain the park grounds... which have no facilities, staff or overheads.

"owners group..." "MP"

We don't have an owners group, but I'm considering obtaining owners addresses from Land Registry and contacting them with that suggestion.
Contact with our MP is, I suppose, the last resort... but would certainly do no harm.

From reading other posts on LMH covering this topic, it seems that those in other LA's are being given access to grant support based on their Self Assesment figures for the previous 2 years... rather than whether or not they are the Business Rates Account Holder. That seems to suggest a significant degree of "discretion" on their part. Or am I reading this wrong?

I can't imagine what other support we might be eligible for. Possibly Pension Credit, now we have no suppliment to our State Pensions, but it will be peanuts... and a bureaucratic nightmare.

Have you checked the small print in your holiday owner insurance policy?

zebedee wrote: .... I don’t think the local authorities have any discretion ......

Try telling that to Gwynedd Council - they're trying not to give it to "wealthy second home-owners"

J B wrote:

zebedee wrote: .... I don’t think the local authorities have any discretion ......

Try telling that to Gwynedd Council - they're trying not to give it to "wealthy second home-owners"

Conwy are the same. Their behaviour in this is disgraceful

Cymraes wrote:

J B wrote:

zebedee wrote: .... I don’t think the local authorities have any discretion ......

Try telling that to Gwynedd Council - they're trying not to give it to "wealthy second home-owners"

Conwy are the same. Their behaviour in this is disgraceful

What I meant was the LAs don’t have any discretion to give you the grant if you don’t tick all the boxes.

(I really don’t wish to get involved in anything to do with devolution. I’ve said enough about what the Welsh authorities are trying to do elsewhere on this forum.)

The OP is looking for help...