ECONOMY
@eastleighbc
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Employment and skills support from your Council Training needs of businesses in the Borough have increased during the pandemic and many, including retailers may need help to improve their online presence and reduce overheads by learning to provide services remotely. The Council already has measures in place to help. One Horton Heath and the Economic Development team have taken on two experienced Employment and Skills Specialists to revive the successful “Eastleigh Skillzone” as well as identifying and developing courses that are in high demand among local businesses. Lea Hampton is the new Employment and Skills Manager for the One Horton Heath project and will work with local businesses and residents to create places with a diverse range of learning and employment opportunities.
Training courses under consideration are the construction trades, digital skills and HGV driving. In order to deliver these courses, we will be partnering with established experts across the Borough, including Eastleigh College and DA Training. If your business would like to run its own bespoke training courses you can use Council premises or facilities. We are working to get the Borough’s economy thriving again so please get in touch at economicdevelopment@ eastleigh.gov.uk
Borough businesses grateful for Council support During the coronavirus pandemic the Borough Council has paid out over £17.5 million in Government grants to 1,567 businesses across the Borough through the Business Rates Grants as well as other government funded schemes including the discretionary grant. Businesses receiving the grants have shown their gratitude to the Council for helping them during this challenging time: “Thanks very much to the Eastleigh team for all the work that you have put in to help small businesses in our area. Much appreciated.” “I just wanted to say a very BIG thank you for all of your support throughout this crisis. You have been excellent!” ”Very grateful to find the business discretionary relief grant from EBC this morning!”
A total of £16,880,000 has now been paid out in Business Rates Grants to 1,269 businesses and £968,500 to 298 businesses through the Discretionary Grant scheme. Applications for Business Rates Grants were extended until 28 August to ensure that as much of the available funds as possible, were allocated to businesses.
Find out more: eastleigh.gov.uk/businessratesgrants
Council votes to save local libraries Eastleigh Borough Council supported an emergency motion objecting to the proposed closure of Fair Oak and Lowford libraries and the reduction in opening hours of other libraries across the borough by Hampshire County Council. The Council is opposed to the current Hampshire County Council’s proposals that include:
• reducing the opening hours of existing funded libraries in the Borough by 32% from January 2021
• the closure of Fair Oak library • removing funding from Lowford as a community managed library.
Cllr Nick Couldrey, who put forward the motion, said: “I’m delighted that the Council supported my motion to help protect our local libraries for our residents. I’m deeply concerned that these proposals will both reduce the hours of opening for many of our libraries and close others, including our local library in Fair Oak, depriving local residents of popular and valued local community facilities.”
