The most-recently available data on Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG), which are designed to support businesses impacted by closures in the leisure and hospitality sector, shows a reluctance to release funding despite significant amounts being allocated by Government.
Bracknell Forest Council has released just 0.2% of the funding available to it, while the London Borough of Haringey and Southampton City Council are only slightly better at just 0.4%.
Across England, local authorities have released a total of just £267,593,813, or less than a quarter of the more than £1.1bn available.
Chief executive of AVA, David Llewellyn, said: “Specific funding has been allocated by the Government to businesses which have been impacted by Covid, however time and time again our members, many of whom are facing significant loss of revenues, are having their applications for support rejected.
“Frankly, the numbers are shocking. Local authorities across the country need to think long and hard about their motivations and start helping those people who work in affected services such as ours.
“Vending operators, whose workers have been classed as essential keyworkers, need the support now or many of them simply won’t be around when workplaces, leisure centres and retail reopen. We’re calling on local authorities to act now, before it’s too late.”
A survey carried out by the European Vending Association and AVA this year showed that during the worst of the pandemic business levels among members dropped to a fifth of what they had been beforehand.
And more than 50% of members have lost over half of their business during that time.
And a recent AVA phone survey found that so far, and despite the Coronvirus Job Retention Scheme which ends in September, 4,326 employees have been made redundant from operating businesses – out of a total of 24,500.
This figure does not include the wider impact to supporting and connected product, equipment and service suppliers.
Adds Llewellyn: “Across the region, AVA members have experienced resistance when seeking help from local authorities despite specific funds being allocated.”