Over the last couple of weeks, the government has taken unprecedented steps to try to protect people from the spread of COVID-19 and to provide financial support.
In Huntingdonshire we are also continuing to see an unparalleled response from our communities as more and more individuals, groups and parish councils step forward and demonstrate true civic spirit in helping residents most in need.
There are now networks of support operating in many towns and villages across the district, with details of what’s taking place in each area on the Local Communities page of the We Are Huntingdonshire website.
Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) has also been working to establish a local hub that will co-ordinate deliveries of food, medicine and other supplies. We now have the initial list of most vulnerable people from government and have already contacted everybody on that list to see what assistance they may need.
We are also collating a wider list of other residents who may not be classed as ‘extremely vulnerable’ by the government, but who nonetheless may need support. We are contacting them by telephone, but if you need help with anything, or if you know someone that does, please let us know via the We Are Huntingdonshire website. If you aren't able to easily access the internet, call us on 01480 388388.
The weeks ahead will undoubtedly be testing for everyone and I firmly believe that the local authorities should step up and go further than ever before to support our communities. I have been clear that HDC will do whatever it can to help, and in addition to setting up the local hub, we have also implemented the following measures:
-
Suspended all car parking charges across the district. The only trips that should now be made are by those who can’t work from home and those who are shopping for essential supplies. Therefore, the last thing we want you to have to think about in these circumstances is finding a ticket machine!
-
Suspended all market pitch fees. Food markets can continue to trade, and as they are playing a valuable role in the supply of fresh food, we will help the traders.
-
Provided urgent accommodation to all rough sleepers who were prepared to accept it.
-
Fast-tracked the process for distributing the £10,000 and £25,000 government grants to local eligible businesses. The government moved quickly with this scheme but can’t yet make the funding available to us to distribute. Every day that passes without this help is potentially another day that may see businesses collapse and people fall into hardship. We have therefore started paying these grants in advance of receiving the money from government. This represents £32million of support for our local businesses.
-
Offered a two-month Council Tax deferral for those that need it. Most people pay Council Tax over ten months with the two ‘free’ months in February and March, but we’ve made available the option to take these two months now in April and May instead. We have also offered to change payment plans where it would help households to manage their budgets.
We had been working to extend the Council Tax holiday to every household in the district but, as we collect tax on behalf of the County Council, police, fire and town/parish councils, it wasn’t possible to secure all partners’ agreement. I am not criticising these other bodies as maintaining cash flow at this time is essential for them to be able to continue to deliver the very services and support that many people will be relying upon. The vast majority of Council Tax is spent on paying the wages of the firefighters, police officers, binmen, street cleaners, care providers and many others who continue to work on the frontline.
HDC’s share of your Council Tax bill is approximately just 8% of the total. Therefore, without the agreement of the other authorities, we can’t freeze or cancel Council Tax bills. However, we also operate a generous Council Tax support scheme that means many who are on low incomes, have lost their jobs or are facing hardship, could see their Council Tax bills reduced significantly. Further information on Council Tax support.
These are just the initial actions that we have taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis and I assure you that we will take further action as necessary as things develop. I also want to be clear that even if you don’t fit the usual criteria for support in normal times but are worrying or facing hardship as a result of the current situation, please talk to us. HDC is a pragmatic council and we will do everything we feasibly can to help our residents and businesses through this crisis.
Cllr Ryan Fuller
Executive Leader
Huntingdonshire District Council