Portsmouth to enter Tier 3
Very High from 00.01 Saturday 19th December because of growing infection rates in the city and pressures on the local NHS.
Retail businesses, including markets, may remain open in all tiers. However pubs and restaurants must close their doors. Pubs and restaurants can still provide food and drink on a takeaway, delivery and click and collect basis between 5am and 11pm.
We understand this is a difficult time for you, and will keep our website up to date with the latest grants information. We will also email you when grant applications become live.
Wet-led pubs payment now live
The application form for the Christmas support payment for wet-led pubs is now live on our website.
The payment is for wet-led pubs in tiers 2 and 3 who will miss out on much needed business during the busy Christmas period.
Pubs that mainly serve alcohol rather than food have been asked to make huge sacrifices over the festive season and will be eligible for a one-off £1000 to help make ends meet.
Your business may be eligible if it:
- occupies property on which it pays business rates
- is a ‘wet led’ pub, meaning that the business derives under 50 per cent of its income from food sales.
- was trading on 4 November 2020.
Business helpline Christmas times
Our business helpline will still be open over the Christmas period, apart from weekends and bank holidays.
We will be back to business as usual at 8am on Monday 4 January 2021. You can also view our business support webpages for information during the festive period.
Portico customs agency can help
All businesses who import and export through the EU need to urgently make arrangements for customs declarations from 1 January. Portico customs agency, owned by the council, can help.
They are fully accredited and authorised by the government, and have the right systems to talk to HMRC to make sure your goods reach their destination without delay.
Experienced and trusted, they are a safe pair of hands to handle your goods as changes take place to EU imports and exports in just two weeks’ time. They are open every day apart from the 25 December in the run up to the deadline.
UK transition resources
If you’re new to customs processes HMRC has a series of short videos on its YouTube channel which introduce importing and exporting:
- What you need to know to send goods out of the UK
- What you need to know to bring goods into the UK
- What are controlled goods?
HMRC also has a Trader checklist to help you prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period.
Personal data post transition
If you receive personal data from the EU/EEA, you need to act now to ensure you can continue to lawfully receive data from your clients in the EU from 1 January 2021.
Specifically, this means:
- You should take stock of the personal data you process prior to 1 January 2021.
- If you receive personal data from a company based in an EU/EEA country, you should map your data flows and put in place alternative transfer mechanisms, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), with any relevant EU organisations.
- Visit the gov.uk page for guidance on the actions your business or organisation needs to take regarding data protection and data flows.
Be alert to bogus covid officers
We’ve received a number of reports of people falsely claiming to be council officials in order to carry out compliance checks and issue fake fines. We’re working closely with the police who are investigating.
Our official officers will never ask you to pay a fine on the spot for non-compliance with coronavirus rules.
Please ask for ID if someone comes to visit your business. Our officers will have clearly visible ID, as well as high-visibility clothing, clearly marked with the Portsmouth City Council logo. Don’t let anyone into the premises to conduct inspections who cannot provide ID.
If you are suspicious that someone is falsely claiming to be from the council or asking you to pay a fine on the spot, call the police.
Find out more about our officers
2021-22 budget consultation underway
The annual council budget process is underway and you can have your say on what services you think are most important to invest in now and for the future. By taking part in our online survey you can help inform decisions about the council’s budget and how it is spent. The survey will also take a detailed look at how coronavirus has affected households when it comes to everything from work and finances, to health and wellbeing, and access to local services.
Portsmouth coding academy launched
Portsmouth-based tech firm Radweb have launched a new programme to develop the programmers and tech-experts of the future. In collaboration with Unloc, an education social enterprise, the firm have recruited a cohort of six students from Portsmouth College who will be incubated and intensively trained by experts at the company over the course of a year.
The RadWeb Coding Academy will support 16-19 year olds interested in a career in the technology sector. As part of the programme, students that were selected after a rigorous application process, get the opportunity to undertake an extended digital work experience placement at Radweb – with mentorship from the firm’s Managing Director Steve Rad along the way.
Government launches GEF for small businesses
The General Export Facility (GEF) has been launched by UK Export Finance (UKEF) in partnership with commercial banks. The scheme will offer exporters access to working capital they need to recover from coronavirus. The aim is to transform UKEF’s offer to smaller businesses, encouraging them to export and take advantage of new free trade agreements.
Exporters will be able to apply for finance from the UK’s five largest banks, backed by a UKEF guarantee to free up working capital that can be used for everyday costs linked to exports and to scale up their business operations.
