Council calls on Government to support the ‘missing middle’ of Cotswold businesses

After correspondence with Caroline Bevan of Rugrats and Half Pints, a Cirencester soft play centre closed under lockdown regulations since March, Councillor Mike Evemy, Deputy Leader of CDC and Cabinet Member for Finance, wrote to Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng asking for greater freedom to support Cotswold businesses currently closed under coronavirus lockdown regulations. 

Cllr Evemy said: ”I have suggested to the Minister that councils be allowed to use money that remains unallocated from the Government funding received for business grants to support the group of businesses currently unable to receive grants or access loans from any current scheme. These businesses count as small businesses by the traditional definition but are too large to be supported by discretionary grants for small and micro-businesses. 

“We’d like to work with the Government to spend the remainder of the business grant money given to us - we have just under £2,000,000 left - on a scheme that lets businesses from that ‘missing middle’ benefit from government support without any additional commitment of funds from the Government.

“With such a scheme in place, we could provide grants of £25,000 to 75 or so local businesses.”

Cllr Evemy continued: “I am not trying to knock the Government or point score. The Treasury has put together a remarkable amount of support for businesses very rapidly and councils have played their part in getting money to businesses quickly. But it is clear to us that there are businesses, like Rugrats, who need help but don’t meet the criteria for any of the current  grant schemes.”

Ms Caroline Bevan, from Rugrats and Half Pints Soft Play, said: “It means the world to us that the Council is supporting us and calling on the Government to help our industry. Soft play facilities are so important to families in the area and we’ve worked incredibly hard to redevelop the centre and build a strong reputation.

“We know this is an important asset to the community and we are making changes to ensure families can return to the centre safely with confidence. We are significantly reducing the numbers of children that can play at any time to assist with social distancing. We’ll also be implementing measures to protect our children and staff like introducing zones and guards to the centre.

“Pre-booked sessions will be available and our app will allow customers to order refreshments from their tables, reducing the need to queue. We’ve also invested in better cleaning products and fogging equipment much like they use on public transport. Moving forward we will perform a deep clean after every session.

“We are well prepared to make changes in line with government advice and we look forward to inviting the people of Cirencester and the Cotswolds back to Rugrats and Half Pints.”

For more information about Rugrats and Half Pints Soft Play, visit: https://www.rugratsandhalfpints.com/