Businesses may receive multiple payments depending upon the periods they were forced to remain closed. Complete and compliant applications will be appraised in order of receipt by the local authority. Local Authorities are not required to adjust, pay or recover grants where the rating list is subsequently amended retrospectively to 1 April 2021. Airport transfers and all your transport needs. You will require a DVLA Group II standard medical. Email the One Stop Shop (OSS) attaching a copy of the test certificate, V5, the vehicle insurance and the application form to. You can apply if you meet one of the 3 descriptions below. *** Please read very carefully as some important changes have been made ***. Public sector organisations and other bodies directly funded by government grants, including education and health related sectors. How do I report an issue about a Sefton taxi? Use this form to report an issue with a taxi or private hire vehicle licensed by Sefton Council. If a Knowledge test is required, arrangements will be made for the test to be held at Bootle One Stop Shop. Something went wrong, please try again later. For the avoidance of doubt, the ARG3 grant is intended for businesses that areineligiblefor the Omicron Hospitality & Leisure Grant (OHLG). There are potentially two separate grants paid for this period. In November 2020, the Government announced additional Covid 19 grants to support local businesses, the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) and the Additional Restrictions Grant. All ARG funds must be disbursed to successful applicants by 31 March 2022. Types of eligible gym & sport businesses: For these purposes, the definition of a gym & sport business excludes: For the purposes of this scheme, a personal care business is defined as a business which provides a service, treatment or activity for the purposes of personal beauty, hair, grooming, body care and aesthetics, and wellbeing. Seftons second week of COVID-19 vaccine drive means more boots-on-the-ground to promote drop-in jab Sefton businesses urged to sign up for The Good Business Festival event at Southport Market, Programme of safe openings for Seftons play areas underway. You can download these documents at the bottom of this webpage. How do I apply for a private hire operator licence? Once approved, the drivers will receive their grant within 5 working days. The Government has introduced a scheme for a one off payment of 1000 for wet-led pubs impacted by the Tier 2 or Tier 3 restrictions between 2-29 December 2020. Extension of current contracts to ensure continuity of supply to Sefton Council. We can also offer executive travel. The funding, which has been secured from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, will be used to insulate the homes of low income families in Sefton. We will use the following criteria to assess whether a business is eligible for a grant under this threshold: Types of eligible non-essential retail businesses: For these purposes of the Restart Grant the definition of a non-essential retail business should exclude businesses as listed below. Applicants will also be required to self-certify that they meet the eligibility criteria. How do I apply for a taxi driver licence? Please note, the deadline for applications was 30 October - the grant is currently closed. From today (Monday, November 30) over 4,000 taxi drivers licensed in Sefton, and who live in the Liverpool City Region, will each be eligible for a 100 support grant. The city's 3,886 licensed drivers rely on the previously booming hospitality, events and tourism sector for a lot of their income, and were hit hard earlier this year when it dried up overnight due to the lockdown. vets, dentists, doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors), Professional services (e.g. Any horse drawn or pedicab omnibus vehicles are required by law to be licensed by Sefton Council to stand or ply for hire along permitted routes. Therefore, a further small pro-rata payment will be made for the 6 days from 30 December 2020 to 4 January 2021 in addition to any other payments due for other periods of closure. There may be other forms of relief that may be helpful in the short-term so please feel free to suggest those if it ensures we can maintain business continuity. Thank you for your support at this difficult time. Village halls including scout huts, cadet huts etc. Any person becoming abusive or aggressive to staff within the OSS will likely be refused a licence. Non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, auction houses (except for auctions of livestock or agricultural equipment) and market stalls selling non-essential goods. You will also need to return your old internal and external vehicle licence plates when collecting your new plates. Currently these limits are the de minimis limit of 200,000 of State Aid over a three-year period, or, if this limit is exceeded, 800,000 of State Aid permitted under the COVID-19 Temporary Framework, which imposes limitations and exceptions. Each Local Authority of the Liverpool City Region will receive a small amount of funding (compared to previous rounds of ARG funding) and must therefore focus this funding to assist businesses severely impacted by the pandemic. The Council has determined that in accordance with that guidance businesses may qualify for a discount in the following categories. 'The safety of passengers using taxi and private hire vehicles is vital, which is why since 2020 Ministers have consistently urged licencing authorities to make use of the database . Hairdressers and Beauty Salons, Betting Shops are not considered to be eligible. For these purposes, the definition of an accommodation business will exclude private dwellings, education accommodation, residential homes, care homes, residential family centres and beach huts. More than 100 Sefton-based businesses applied during the initial grant application window at the beginning of November. Have not exceeded the subsidy control limits. Grant income received by a business is taxable. You can complete this by visiting the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/complete-a-tax-check-for-a-taxi-private-hire-or-scrap-metal-licence. Be able to accept the grant under Subsidy Control/State Aid rules. Your application will not be processed if you have not supplied the correct evidence. Sefton Council do not retain any lost property but if you are having difficulty getting items returned then please get in touch by using the online form in how to complain about a Sefton taxi and we may be able to help. Businesses will be required to make a declaration and to provide evidence that more than 50% of the business income is derived from a qualifying criteria. Company Number (where the ratepayer is a Limited company registered with Companies House), Number of employees at the premises for which the application is being made, Percentage decline in turnover within the April 2020 to March 2021 period, compared to the same 2019 to 2020 period, A declaration that the award of relief will not result in a breach of Subsidy Control thresholds. If you have any queries in relation to the Discretionary Grant, please emaildiscretionarygrant@sefton.gov.ukstating your business name and the application reference number in the subject line of the email. . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The grant will support businesses that are able to continue trading through these difficult times, or that have been forced to close as part of the Governments Tier 3 Lockdown. Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com. Valid applications will be assessed in the order in which they are received, but please note that any application that does not have the required information or evidence will be rejected. The Government has determined a deadline of 31 March 2022 for all payments to be issued. Here you will find all information regarding Council Tax. There are other newsletters available too if you want them as well. We know this is frustrating but its so important we uphold these strict standards and we do appreciate your continued patience. This fully-funded programme is designed to help Liverpool SME business leaders gain knowledge, clarity and understanding aroundfive key business issueswhere technology can positively impact business performance and growth:board level attitude for change, security and stability of technology, data analytics and reporting accessibility, customer experience, and attracting and retaining talent. Payments after 6 April 2022 will fall into the 2022/2023 tax year. The Government has provided Councils with guidance to provide a discretionary discount scheme for nurseries. Sefton businesses will be contacted directly to explain how they can receive their top-up if they were awarded grants in the previous two rounds. The following thresholds apply for these businesses: Changes to the Rating List after 1 April 2021. You can request a copy of your bill to be sent to the contact address we already have on record. Level 1 Payment - the rateable value of your premises is exactly 15,000 or lower. Businesses that are in administration, insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made, are not eligible for funding under this scheme. Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council has joined The Metro Mayor, City Mayor and other Liverpool City Region Council leaders toannounce 1.5m COVID-19 Fund for Local Authorities to support Taxi Drivers. The primary principle of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the relevant sectors. If a business operates services that could be considered non-essential and also fall into another category, such as hospitality in the higher funding threshold, the Council must determine the main service main service to determine which grant is payable. Drivers living outside of Sefton are advised to check your local authority for their support offer., For more information visit sefton.gov.uk/taxigrant, Drivers will be given a grant from by the council to assist with a sharp loss of income due to the pandemic. Village halls & scout huts, cadet huts, etc. Further information can be found on the subsidy allowance page of this website. In response to the variety of business restrictions that are currently impacting upon the Liverpools hospitality and leisure businesses, Sefton Council, in conjunction with our neighbouring local authorities and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are launching the Liverpool City Region Hospitality and Leisure Support Grant. The Council is aware that many businesses in these sectors will have been impacted by the COVID-19 Omicron variant. In those cases where it is clear to the Council that the ratepayer is likely to breach the cash caps, then the Council will automatically withhold the discount. Grants will be paid on a phased basis and future payments will be subject to the satisfactory receipt of relevant information that shows that the business is still trading, that it is employing the number of staff claimed for and that it is able to receive the grant as per State Aid rules. Businesses will not be required to apply for the discount as it will be applied automatically. All successful applicants have been notified. Businesses that deliver in-person holistic, beauty and hair treatments. This should be interpreted as carrying on a trade or profession or buying and selling goods or services, Local Restrictions Support Grant (now closed), Liverpool City Region Hospitality, Leisure and Retail Grant Top-up (now closed), Liverpool City Region Hospitality, Leisure and Retail Grant - Round 2 (Expanded Scheme - now closed), Liverpool City Region Hospitality and Leisure Sector Fund - Round 1 (now closed), Discretionary Business Grant Fund (now closed), Small Business Grant Funding (now closed), Christmas Support Payment for Wet-led pubs (now closed), Expanded Retail Discount (Business Rates Holiday), Business Rate Updates from 1st April 2023, LCR Care Grant Scheme Terms And Conditions Sefton FINAL, Sefton Care Providers Grant Scheme Privacy FINAL, Guidance Notes And Checklist LCR Care Providers Grant FINAL. Please also read the accompanying Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice for this scheme before completing the application form. Any missing or incorrect information will delay the appraisal and payment process. The Council is required to account for these grants individually and it may appear confusing for businesses to understand what payments they are receiving and for what. In determining the criteria of this grant scheme, the Council has had to balance defraying the small allocation of funding within the shortest period of time and supporting those businesses that can evidence being most impacted by the Omicron variant. Types of eligible personal care businesses: For these purposes, the definition of a personal care business excludes: The following general exclusions on eligibility apply to Restart Grant funding. 1million on their closed property and then up to the 105,000 cash cap on their other eligible properties). Businesses are advised to apply for the grant as soon as practicable, and to ensure that all the evidence is attached to the online grant form. Khalil Awla, of Greenwood Avenue in Wigan, was found guilty of murder and kidnapping. To applydownload the New Driver Application Form, Any operator wanting to renew their licence (or any application for a new licence) should contact the Council viataxiapplication@sefton.gov.uk. Types of eligible accommodation businesses: For these purposes, the definition of an accommodation business excludes: For the purposes of this scheme, a gym & sport business is defined as a commercial or non-profit establishment where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis, using exercise equipment or open floor space with or without instruction, or where individual and group sporting, athletic and physical activities are participated in competitively or recreationally. Current Government guidance indicates that businesses may have to provide evidence of their eligibility for this payment by providing a copy of their accounts from prior to 11 March 2020. This provides businesses with a further two weeks to collate and submit the necessary evidence to support their application. If you would like further help on finding information from The Sefton Directory please contact Sefton Council Contact Centre on 0345 140 0845. Your email address will not be published. A business was open and providing in-person services to customers prior to restrictions being applied. The government has announced plans to provide support to businesses that have continued to be closed due to national restrictions implemented in March 2020, for example, nightclubs. Businesses who were eligible for other existing Government support grant schemes were not eligible for the Discretionary Business Grant. Fully constituted businesses in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a striking-off notice are not eligible under these conditions. For the purposes of this grant scheme, a business is considered to be trading if it is engaged in business activity. The Restart Grant will support non-essential retail premises with one-off grants of up to 6,000 in Strand One of the Restart Grant. During this period the Council would like to work together with our contracted suppliers to provide support where it is possible in order that we can resume normal contract service delivery as soon as possible once the Covid-19 outbreak is over. The business has only had a restriction placed on its opening times. Those drivers who do not meet the criteria for this grant are able to access other support schemes which offer financial aid. It is intended that the entire budget will be disbursed to businesses, after which there will be no more ARG funding. The High Court case being brought by the ride-hailing app firm could result in all taxi . Please apply for your renewal licence as early as possible (28 days) before expiry. Businesses in these sectors are advised to monitor the Councils web pages, and social media for any announcements should Government guidance change or additional funding be made available. All businesses must be a small or micro business (as defined in Section 33 Part 2 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 and the Companies Act 2006) and be able to accept the grant under State Aid rules (see sections 4, 5 and 9 of the guidance notes). Bootle One Stop Shop is located on 324. Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services for example for people who do not have it at home and for click-and-collect services. The taxi licence grant was introduced in 2020 to help drivers affected by the local restrictions put in place as a result of coronavirus. Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over 15,000 and less than 51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of 4,000. Businesses that are not within the ratings system will not be eligible to receive funding under this scheme. Are mobile businesses without commercial property-related costs. It is the applicants responsibility to complete the application form and attach the required evidence. Grants will be payable to eligible business rate payers as named on the Councils records, and who were trading on 30 November 2020. This will be on a case by case basis according to the nature of the services, goods or works being provided, the challenges being faced, the contracted terms and the constraints of any statutory requirements. Applications may, at the discretion of a Local Authority, be subject to a third-party credit check. The fund replaces the right to request a reduction in business rates from the Valuation Office Agency on the grounds that COVID-19 has been a material change in circumstances which makes the rateable value of the property inaccurate. You will then be notified when the renewed licence and plates are ready for collection. Uber is suing Sefton Council in a landmark case that could see taxi fares across the country rise by 20%. Payment will appear in nominated bank accounts as Business Rates Refund. Statutory Sick Pay relief package for SMEs; The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to 5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank; A new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity among larger firms, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans. Annex 1 - Sefton Knowledge Test (Sample Questions) Private Hire Driver applicants: You must answer all the questions in Sections A, B & C. The overall pass mark is 7 correct out of 10 (4 from A & B and 3 from C - you do not need to answer the questions in D). Note: Completed applications will be appraised in order of receipt by the local authority. It has been required to close for a consecutive period of no less than two weeks because of regulations made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. Are dormant, i.e. The Government has issued a range of restrictions since 14 October 2020. The list of businesses and venues required to close includes: Some of these businesses and places will also be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities. We have 4-8 seaters available. Once your vehicle has passed its inspection, you will be required to produce: If all the above is in order, you will be issued with a vehicle licence. Enquiries for the Hospitality and Leisure grant are being dealt with byemail onlyand can be sent tohandlgrants@sefton.gov.uk. Businesses that offer in-person exercise and sport activities to the general public. To become a taxi or private hire driver, you need to have held your full UK driving licence for one year to become a driver. This may include: Grant recipients should also be advised that the information they provide may be shared with The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for research and evaluation purposes together with their data held by the Council for the purposes of administering the grant and to account for how grant funding is spent. Incomplete applications will not be appraised. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the Liverpool City Region economy and as a direct response the Government has provided the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority with further Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding.