The Bid Zone

Businesses that have been unable to reopen since 23 March 2020 can now APPLY.

The government is providing funding to help business properties which have been unable to reopen since 23 March 2020 due to national restrictions, for example nightclubs. Such businesses will be able to apply for a grant payment to cover the period 1-4 November 2020, prior to the national lockdown on 5 November. From 5 November 2020, these businesses will be eligible for a national business support grant as below.

Business support grants for business ratepayers forced to close from 5 November 2020 (national scheme)

The government has put in place a grant scheme for businesses that have been forced to close due to the national restrictions from 5 November 2020.

Grants are based on the rateable value of the property and will be paid per 28-day qualifying restriction period.

To be eligible for this grant, your business property must fall under one of the categories on the government’s list of businesses forced to close. Please note that if the majority of your business has been forced to close but you are operating a takeaway or click and collect service, you may still be eligible for a grant. However businesses that have chosen to close but have not been required to will not be eligible for this grant and should not apply. 

The government has also issued this advice for businesses:

Check if your business is eligible for a coronavirus grant due to national restrictions (for closed businesses)
 

How to apply

The link below contains the application form to apply for a grant. The form will capture the information required by the council to verify and make payment of the grant to your business.

To apply for this grant you will need:

What happens next?

All applications will be validated and a decision made as to whether the business is eligible for a grant and how much is payable. Payment will be made by BACS to the nominated bank account after the payment has been approved.

Please only complete this application form if the business has been forced to close, you have a Business Rates account number and are currently liable for Business Rates.

Local Restriction Support Grants application form

The Government will not accept deliberate manipulation and fraud and any business caught falsifying their statements or evidence to gain grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back, as may any grants paid in error.

Discretionary business support grants

The government is also providing funding to local councils to provide extra support for businesses. Cheltenham Borough Council are looking at the best way they can use this funding to support businesses in the Cheltenham area that have been severely impacted and will publish details of the scheme and an on line application form once available.  

Cheltenham Borough Council are currently working on the policy and the application form for these discretionary grants which will be available soon. 

State Aid

The amended Temporary Framework enables EU Member States to give up to the nominal value of

€800,000 per company. This can be combined also with so-called de minimis aid (to bring the aid per company to up to €1 million) and with other specific types of aid. Any business that has reached the limits of payments permissible under the De Minimis and the UK Covid-19 Temporary State Aid Framework will not be able to receive further grant funding.

Completely new Christmas lights will be seen across the town centre from Tuesday November 24, brought to you by the BID and supported by Cheltenham Borough Council. There won’t be an official switch-on this year because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions but we’re confident the new look will be a major draw that will help all our businesses when they reopen after the national lockdown.

As well as the sparkle during the darker hours, the new Christmas lights will bring a gleam during the day.  Golden baubles will hang from the trees on the pedestrianised Promenade and gold powder-coated holly, reindeer, stars and harps will adorn the lampposts in other streets.  A new Christmas tree will be installed at the Montpellier roundabout.

Since the BID has been in operation, the lights have been extended to include The Strand, Cambray Place, Pittville Street, Clarence Parade, Regent Street and Winchcombe Street as well as The High Street and the new crossing between Boots and Primark is proving to be a popular spot for selfies. This is just one of the successful partnerships the BID has with Cheltenham Borough Council, without whose support we would not have been able to light up such a large area.

The BID would like to thank PDSA, High Street for assisting with The Strand’s ceiling of lights by supplying the electricity for the third year running.

A new campaign has been launched to celebrate Cheltenham’s famous and mouth-watering food and drink offering, providing a much needed boost to the town’s hospitality sector. The Great Taste of Cheltenham, which will run for the next six weeks, will highlight the incredible array of establishments in the town, showcasing its diverse and delicious dining offer together with its renowned hospitality culture.

Cheltenham has long been known as a foodie destination, from its award winning and Michelin-starred dining through to some of the best independent and up and coming eateries in the region. But as new national guidelines are introduced, the new campaign seeks to remind people of just how special Cheltenham’s local food & drink scene is – and why continuing to support the hospitality sector is more important now than ever.

This BID initiative is being delivered by Marketing Cheltenham and will encourage visitors and locals to support our diverse hospitality sector.

David Jackson, Manager of Marketing Cheltenham, says of the campaign, “Cheltenham’s hospitality and food and drink scene is a really big part of the town’s identity and DNA – and we’re lucky to have such an exceptional range of independent and award winning cafes, restaurants and chefs on our doorstep. From our Masterchef finalists and Michelin-recommended restaurants through to our authentic and original Sri Lankan street food, Cheltenham’s food and drink scene competes with the top foodie destinations anywhere in the country. The Great Taste of Cheltenham is our way of reminding people of that and how important it is that we continue to support these businesses through these uncertain times.”

Belinda Hunt, Operations Manager at Cheltenham BID added: “We hope that the timing of this campaign will come at just the right moment to support the many hospitality businesses across Cheltenham who were forced to close their doors during the Covid-19 lockdown. The range and quality of our food & drink offer here in Cheltenham really is superb, so the BID is pleased to bring you The Great Taste of Cheltenham as a wonderful way of telling this story and encouraging both locals and visitors back into the town.”

The campaign, which will be hosted on the Visit Cheltenham website and social media channels, will also feature a series of new videos with local foodie favourites The Taste Plug. And following on from its own recent launch, Cheltenham’s new collective of independent hospitality businesses, TURF, are also partnering on the campaign.

To find out more about The Great Taste of Cheltenham, go to www.visitcheltenham.com/great-taste. To watch The Great Taste of Cheltenham videos click here.

Cheltenham BID is the lead sponsor of the Cheltenham Festivals … around town programme, bringing hundreds of free events to the streets and businesses of Cheltenham during the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals, including the annual Lit Crawl.

Of course this year’s programme is having to take a very different format, and we would like to thank the team at Cheltenham Festivals for enabling us to continue to support this important event.

As ever, over the two weekends of The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival there will be an exciting line up of well-known as well as emerging poets, writers, spoken word artists and song writers for people to listen to.

This year, instead of the usual Lit Crawl format, free performances will be held at the Imperial Gardens Stage’, and brought to you in connection with: John Gordons, The Botanist, Boston Tea Party, Memsahib Gin and Tea Bar, The Beehive, Soho Bar & Eatery and Montpellier Wine Bar.

Find the programme of events here.

Despite the earlier closing time, you will still be able to enjoy an early evening drink in some of Cheltenham’s many safe and friendly bars, grab a bite to eat or have a special meal at one of  the town’s hundreds of restaurants and bars.

Why not take a stroll up to Montpellier before or after the show to enjoy some of the finest selections of whiskies, wines, gins and liqueurs?

Or wander into the town centre for a cocktail and some delicious food.

Looking for somewhere to go pre-show?

The Beehive serves the best traditional ales, the finest local ciders, craft gins and fresh locally-sourced produce, cooked to order in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

This new format has given us the chance to involve one of our professional services businesses for the first time this year and we are pleased to have Cambray Design on board. We have aligned them with some of Gloucestershire’s talented emerging poets whose creativity we thought fits well with this design agency’s ability to solve challenges, change behviours and generate positive change through innovation.

Trade (commercial) refuse is the waste generated by any business organisation,

Under current environmental law, all businesses must ensure that their waste is stored securely, preventing waste escaping, and that it is collected and disposed of by a licensed waste management organisation.

Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) offer a fast, flexible and customer focused collection service, that can be tailored to individual needs. They aim to provide a reliable service at a competitive price and their services comply with all legislative requirements. They also provide recycling of paper and cardboard in the town centre and a glass recycling service borough wide. 

Businesses can obtain tickets for waste collection here .

Wheeled bin collection service

CBC offer a range of sizes of durable wheeled containers. Charges for wheeled containers are calculated on the size and quantity of bins, and the number of collections required per week. CBC operate the collection service 7 days a week.

They can tailor the collections to suit individual businesses and also provide a variety of discounts so it would be advisable to contact CBC for a quote.

CBC will be pleased to visit your business at no cost to discuss your waste collection needs.

Trade waste and recycling bags and labels

CBC’s bag or label collection service is ideal for smaller businesses.

Blue trade waste bags or labels can only be used in the town centre and can be purchased in rolls of 25. If your business is located outside of the town centre you can purchase orange trade waste bags. Town centre collections of blue trade waste bags/labels are made on a Tuesday and Friday. Orange bags are collected on the same day as the domestic refuse collection for that particular street. 

Clear trade waste bags for recycling paper, and labels for cardboard recycling can also be used in the town centre. These are supplied as either a roll of 25 bags or a book of 25 labels. Paper and card recycling collections are on Tuesday and Friday.

You can view a list of roads that are classed as in the town centre for the blue bag/label scheme and the clear bag paper and cardboard label recycling scheme. Any businesses located on a road not listed here are required to purchase orange bags and should contact us to discuss the recycling options available.

Bags may only be filled with general commercial waste. Hazardous and special waste cannot be collected.

Purchase bags and labels

To purchase bags and/or labels please use CBC’s online Trade Refuse payment pages where you will be able to buy a variety of items including the option to have the items delivered to your Cheltenham premises. There is a charge for delivery and if it’s required please remember to add the delivery option to your order. If you need assistance in placing your order, please contact customer services on 01242 262626.

The person collecting or receiving the items will be required to sign a duty of care controlled waste transfer notice and will receive a copy. Please note that there is a legal requirement to retain the document for 2 years.

Deliveries

Deliveries will be made within 5 working days.

Collections

Once payment has been made, the bags or labels can be collected from the goods inwards and collections point at the rear of the Municipal Offices, alongside the marked loading bay. Collections can be made between 9am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday (10am to 4.30pm Wednesday). Please provide a copy of the purchase receipt when collecting the items.

Nominations opened Tuesday, September 22 and close Tuesday, October 6 at 5pm. Make sure to head to the website to nominate: cotswoldlifebidawards.co.uk

Cheltenham BID and Cotswold Life have reopened nominations for the 2020 BID Awards and want to celebrate the brilliant businesses which make Cheltenham town centre the vibrant, dynamic, diverse area that it is through the difficulties of COVID-19.

Back in March the nominations closed for the 2020. Then the pandemic hit and we were forced to put the awards process on hold. Due to Government guidelines we didn’t feel right to complete the judging in March, but six months on the BID and Cotswold Life have decided to reopen nominations for two weeks only.

Let’s highlight and celebrate those in the Business Improvement District for all their hard work, before and during COVID, in what has been such a difficult and uncertain time for all.

All nominations that were made at the start of this year are still valid and will be used in the judging process, but we also want to hear from those businesses who have gone above and beyond during this difficult time.

Perhaps you made you have moved business, made experience extra memorable or possibly opened a new venture or spun their businesses into a new initiative.

We want to hear from the public and businesses big and small in the BID zone, so get nominating those who need the recognition and support for all their hard work.

Previous post –

We are delighted to launch the third annual Cotswold Life Cheltenham BID Awards to celebrate our brilliant businesses which make Cheltenham town centre the vibrant, dynamic, diverse area that it is.

See if a business is part of BID.

Across 10 categories, this year’s awards celebrated the very best traders in the Cheltenham BID zone – the area of the town centre from the High Street, along The Promenade to Montpellier, and down to the Brewery Quarter.

See our gallery for photos from our 2019 celebration at The Old Courthouse

Since its inception in 2016, the board behind the BID – Cheltenham’s Business Improvement District – has done a huge amount to raise the profile of the town as a retail and leisure destination. The BID is behind the Light Up Cheltenham event, which bought the Giant Observation Wheel to the town and saw more than 40 buildings floodlit. It also introduced the popular Cheltenham Gift Card, now accepted by John Lewis & Partners. It’s also campaigned for major infrastructure projects, including the £700,000 project to revamp the High Street.

Those who visit Cheltenham are lucky enough to enjoy the huge range of restaurants, bars and leisure outlets in the dazzling Brewery Quarter.The Promenade must be one of the prettiest shopping streets in the whole of the UK. The charming independent boutiques and salons of Montpellier, along with its quirky pubs, area dream. And with the opening of the dazzling new John Lewis, Cheltenham’s status as the county’s premier retail destination is sealed.

Cheltenham has today launched a new campaign to encourage business growth and investment in the town. Developed by Cheltenham Borough Council and its destination and place marketing arm Marketing Cheltenham alongside Cheltenham BID and local brand agency ASHA, the new ‘We’re Moving to Cheltenham’ initiative seeks to highlight the scale of investment and business growth that is underway across Cheltenham, the positive effect this is already having in attracting new business into the town and the range of opportunities that make it attractive for others to do the same.

From its enviable UK-wide connectivity to its world-class festivals and top-rated education, Cheltenham is regularly voted amongst the best places to live in the UK. So as the world continues to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and a more flexible approach to office working begins to emerge, Cheltenham is positioning itself as the perfect location to not only provide an attractive quality of life, but to also grow a business, providing the kind of flexible co-working spaces, access to talent and world-leading innovation that few other UK locations can offer.

Fuelled in-part by Cheltenham’s burgeoning cyber-tech community – which is now the largest business cluster of its type anywhere in the country outside of London – the town has a definite spring in its step, despite the challenging economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such is Cheltenham’s growing reputation as the home of cyber and digital innovation in the UK, the likes of Microsoft, IBM and Apple have already been attracted to the town, whilst some of the most exciting tech and cyber start-ups in the country are here in Cheltenham.

Last month, it was confirmed that six potential partners have been shortlisted for the £400 million, nationally-significant Golden Valley Development, home of Cyber Central – a new campus and cyber-tech community adjacent to GCHQ.

It’s not just the Golden Valley that is seeing new investment coming in however. Elsewhere in the town, an enabling and forward thinking approach has helped to bring forward a number of new office space developments over recent times, from Honeybourne Place and the funky, award-winning Formal House to the landmark Quadrangle – complete with rooftop restaurant – which is now nearing completion. The emerging Minster Innovation Exchange in the centre of the town will provide further flexible, co-working space for the town’s growing cyber and digital businesses, adding to the success of Hub8 which occupies 7,000 sq ft of Cheltenham’s predominantly leisure based Brewery Quarter development.

Steve Jordan, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, said: “Despite the many challenges that COVID-19 has thrown at us, as a local authority we have continued to act and respond as proactively as we’ve been able to in supporting our community and economy. At the same time however, we’ve maintained our longer term vision and ambitions for the town and the We’re Moving to Cheltenham initiative is just another example of our commitment to supporting not just the town’s recovery, but its continued and ongoing renewal and resurgence as one of the most attractive places to do business in the UK.”

Diane Savory OBE, chair of GFirst LEP and the new Cheltenham Economic Recovery Task Force, said: “This new We’re Moving to Cheltenham campaign is a great demonstration of the kind of bold and imaginative approach that’s needed to rebuild business confidence in the town. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues and partners in Cheltenham to support the county’s inward investment ambitions and to exploit the many opportunities that Cheltenham and Gloucestershire offer in driving innovation, talent retention and business growth.”

Belinda Hunt, operations manager at Cheltenham BID, added: “Here at Cheltenham BID, we’ve long recognised the need for a vehicle to promote Cheltenham’s wider business interests and to attract new investment into the town. We’re delighted therefore to see the new We’re Moving to Cheltenham initiative underway and would encourage businesses across the whole town to support the campaign.”

The new We’re Moving to Cheltenham website can be found at www.movingtocheltenham.com. The video can also be found on YouTube – https://youtu.be/ISHKLxvqr3Y

If you represent a business in the national retail sector, are a BID levy payer and would like the opportunity to make a real difference and add to what we have already achieved, please contact BID Operations Manager, Belinda Hunt on  07951 139306 or email her at belinda@cheltenhambid.co.uk, no later than Friday September 18.

The No Child Left Behind community agreement was launched on Thursday 3 September. It was launched across the town, which has so far seen over 30 schools and organisations across all sectors commit to working with families in a way that focusses on kindness, understanding and empathy. 

Across the borough, 15 schools and 16 organisations have signed up to the aims of the NCLB community agreement. For those who have signed up the agreement is a commitment to making sure that services across our town are delivered with kindness at their core, taking into account families’ individual circumstances and experiences. The agreement is determined to play a part in creating a brighter future for the children and young people in Cheltenham, and ensures that no child is left behind.

Cllr Flo Clucas cabinet member for healthy lifestyles said: ‘’We’ve seen extraordinary resilience and compassion during the pandemic. As part of the No Child Left Behind initiative I’m delighted to see that so many have signed up to the NCLB community agreement which will see that support continue.

‘’Our Cheltenham families will know that advice, help, assurance and assistance is there for them. It will be offered through inclusive and compassionate environments where they will be able to talk about issues affecting them, without judgement, and supported in a way that focusses on their strengths and helps them overcome their challenges.

‘’It might be that someone has a situation at home and is unsure where to ask for help or there may be an employer who wants to offer a fuller support package for staff. Wherever you see the NCLB community agreement mark you know you can get advice and support with kindness at its core.’’

Charlotte Blanch head teacher at catholic primary school, St Gregory the Great continued: ‘’We have signed up to the NCLB campaign as our pledge to work alongside our children and their families to support them in being the very best they can be, no matter what socio economic class they’re from and no matter what experiences they have had in life.  We believe it is now more important than ever to work together as a whole town to understand one another better, build relationships with each other and recognise how we’re all valuable cogs of the same machine, working together to do the very best for our children, the future of our town.’’

Maria Allebone, digital and communication executive at Cheltenham BID, continued: “We have always been a great supporter of No Child Left Behind and have signed up to community agreement because we want not only to see the business community do well but would like to see everyone in Cheltenham thrive. It starts with our young people, these are our future entrepreneurs, hoteliers, retailers as well as customers. The BID is continually organising free inclusive family activities across the town centre, encouraging businesses and employees to interact with participants. Our 2020 summer trail; the interactive Hidden Cheltenham Trail and the Monster Hero Safari Trail are two great examples of how we have achieved this.”

NCLB continues to build on its successes and learning points of the past year. Led by the borough council, together with its core partners, it continues to address the report which identified more than a third of the town’s children were living in poverty. These children were statistically more likely to experience challenges such as school exclusion, lower educational attainment, poorer mental and physical health, and an increased likelihood of having social care involvement in their family.

The initiative has also launched a new website, designed to highlight the strengths and achievements of Cheltenham families and organisations, and to provide signposting and support.  

Follow @NCLBchelt or #NCLBchelt

This article was written pre-lockdown 2.0. Please the centres update here.

Regent Arcade Shopping Centre is Cheltenham’s premier shopping destination. Located in the heart of Cheltenham, the Arcade boasts an impressive line-up of more than 50 retail stores, many of which offer a click & collect service, as well as dining options.

The Regent Arcade itself has introduced a one-way system allowing customers to access all stores, simplifying the mall dynamic to ensure a safe shopping environment, as well as offering regular digital communications for every retailer. The Centre has created additional showcase windows on the mall offering stores key display areas as well as bringing life back to a vacant unit.  The Regent Arcade retailers have worked incredibly hard to re-imagine their individual shopping experiences for customers during lockdown to ensure guidelines are met.

Cheltenham BID’ s Digital and Communications Exec Maria Allebone interviewed, Scott Lahive, Centre Manager at Regent Arcade about how he has felt the last couple of months have gone, the opening of KIBOU and exciting plans for the future.

MA: How do you feel the public have adapted to the Arcade’s new guidelines to encourage covid-safe shopping?

SL: The public have been incredibly cooperative when adhering to our new safety procedures, we understand that shoppers want to return to a safe environment and believe that the measures that have been put move us closer to the new normal.  

MA: What is the most recent exciting change/plan/event to happen in The Regent Arcade?

SL: Regent Arcade recently welcomed KIBOU to their food and beverage offering, the Japanese restaurant Cheltenham knows and loves. They are serving all your favourite handmade sushi, the tastiest ramen, katsu and tempura as well as heaps of other truly authentic Japanese dishes. If you haven’t visited them yet, they definitely need to be top of the list, with exquisite décor and fabulous customer service as well.

MA: Tell us about your November/December plans?

SL: Regent Arcade are very much looking forward to Christmas this year. We all need something to get excited about and to bring a little joy to a very challenging 2020. It may be slightly different this year, but we will still be bringing the magic to the Centre for Cheltenham shoppers to enjoy. After all, Christmas Is Here!

EXCITEMENT is building at The Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham, as the leading leisure destination is set to open two new venues before the end of the year.

On the list of new arrivals is none other than the world-leading live escape room experience, Escape Hunt as well as the highly acclaimed cutting-edge fitness studio, F45.

Nikki Kontarines, Asset Manager for Martin Commercial Properties who are managing agents for The Brewery Quarter said: “We’re thrilled to announce that both Escape Hunt and F45 are opening at The Brewery Quarter. We feel they’re both a fantastic fit for the leisure and lifestyle mix that we’re creating here, and we can’t wait to welcome them both before the end of the year.

The Cheltenham site will be Escape Hunt’s twelfth venture with other notable locations including Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester.
Commenting on the new opening, Escape Hunt’s CEO, Richard Harpham, said: “We are delighted to have completed contracts for our next site at a The Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham. This is a prime leisure scheme site for us and represents one of the important steps in our strategic priority to increase our footprint across the UK.”

It has been revealed that there will be a total of five games rooms, each offering customers a unique experience, as well as offering outdoor experiences with mystery hunts across the town centre. For more information visit their website.

F45 Cheltenham will also be arriving ahead of 2021, a boutique fitness studio that specialises in high-intensity team training sessions which keeps members engaged, inspired and sweating on a daily basis.

Members will go through an array of circuit-based workouts led by two highly qualified F45 instructors alongside cutting-edge technology. No two workouts are ever the same at F45 with each 45-minute session aiming to burn up to 750 calories.

Speaking on the new Cheltenham branch, Owner and Managing Director Rob Aspinall, said: “The Brewery Quarter is the premiere location in Cheltenham and is the centre of the action in this dynamic, health focused, town. With high footfall, a prominent High Street location and close proximity to local offices, it is the ideal site for our fitness studio. We can’t wait to launch our new studio and welcome the Cheltenham public through our doors.”

With these two new ventures arriving, not forgetting of course American-inspired street food and drink joint Hubbox which will be arriving Spring 2021, The Brewery Quarter is filling up with new and exciting venues thick and fast.

For more information on The Brewery Quarter and it’s venues, please visit
www.thebreweryquarter.co.uk.

Quick reference action cards are now available for Cheltenham BID businesses to use in the event of a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The cards, developed by Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) and Public Health England, with contributions from local authorities and other partners, are available to download and keep-to-hand provide guidance for the beauty, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, retail and tourism sectors, and other workplace organisations and places of worship. Owners and managers will be able to quickly identify, report and respond to one or more confirmed cases of Covid-19 in their business, setting or organisation.

Cllr Andrew McKinlay, member for development and safety said: “These action cards will help businesses and organisations recognise, report and respond to an incident of Covid-19 to help keep Cheltenham safe. I’d urge businesses to download the relevant action card for their sector and to keep it to hand should they have an outbreak.”

Sarah Clark, public and environmental health team leader, continued: “High-quality, timely infection prevention and control advice is critical to help prevent the spread and contain the virus and we’ve been working closely with many businesses across different sectors to offer support and advice to become Covid secure.

“As restrictions have eased and in the event of an outbreak these downloadable action cards will help Cheltenham businesses and organisations quickly identify what they need to do, how to report it and the next steps to take. The cards also include signposting and other useful information should there be confirmed cases of Covid-19.”

The series of 16 cards give clear guidance on how individual settings can help control an outbreak by applying existing guidance on:

• social distancing

• sticking to the risk-assessed safe working advice

• cleaning hands regularly

• disinfecting objects, surfaces and common touch points; and

• groups in the workplace and minimising contacts outside of the household.

For more information visit www.cheltenham.gov.uk/coronavirus_actioncards

SMEs in Gloucestershire are set to benefit from new government funding to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government has today announced.

Small and medium sized businesses will have access to grants to help them access new technology and other equipment as well as professional, legal, financial or other advice to help them get back on track.

It comes on top of an unprecedented package of Government support to help businesses to recover, including the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country, as well as £1.6 billion invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job.

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke MP said:

“We have always said that we would stand behind our businesses and communities as we rebuild following the coronavirus pandemic. This new funding does exactly that.

Businesses will be able to use these new grants to pay for the expertise, equipment and technology they need to adapt, recover and rebuild.

Small and medium sized businesses are the beating heart of communities; they provide employment and contribute significantly to local economies and we are determined to give them the support they need to continue to thrive.”

The support will be fully funded by the government from the England European Regional Development Fund and distributed through The Growth Hub.

Whilst the fund is not yet available for release to businesses, The Growth Hub are working closely with government and their local GFirst LEP to bring this to market as quickly as possible.

The Growth Hub are in the process of gathering the required evidence and process documentation that they will need to administer the grants in line with government policy and also clarifying the criteria against which grant decisions can be made. It is their intention to be able to start administering grants as soon as possible.

To be alerted when the applications open, leave your details on this simple form. 

By Maria Allebone

A creative new patisserie called Edible Art, specialising in beautiful, colourful and unique pastries and cakes opened in The Courtyard on Saturday August 1. Damien Wager, owner of the new Courtyard business began his pastry career just four years ago, but he is already known for his wonderful pastry and cake creations, with nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram. We met Lizzie Nicholas, manager of the patisserie at the grand opening of the shop and asked her a few important questions.

Lizzie Nicholas, Edible Art manager

MA: What makes Edible Art Patisserie so different?

LN: Edible Art Patisserie is unlike anything else that can be found in Cheltenham or the surrounding area. Over the past four years Damien has refined the art of pastry to become one of the best in the country and gaining a reputation for his skills which are recognised worldwide. The unique style that Damien has adopted ensures that guests are given an unforgettable experience tasting the most luxurious of desserts. This is the one and only Edible Art Patisserie at the moment with plans to progress further afield in the future. We have a small team of 3 which means everything is completed to the highest standard, for us this is a hugely exciting opportunity and we want to keep coming up with new ideas and creations to keep the people of Cheltenham, as well as those who travel from further afield excited and surprised at what is possible when they visit.

MA: What’s your favourite patisserie/chocolate from the shop?

LN: So we all have different favourites; for myself it is the Peanut and Milk Chocolate bonbons, Kacper can’t get enough of the Exotic Fruit tart and Damien loves the bubblegum macaron which will be a new feature on the selection this week.

MA: Is there anyone in Cheltenham that you would like to collaborate with?

LN: We would love to do some form of collaboration with David Everett-Matthias and the team at The Champignon Sauvage at some point in the future. David’s book ‘Essence’ was one of the first books Damien ever purchased when he started out as a chef and his dedication and commitment to his business is admirable. We believe there is a lot we can learn from him and his team to ensure we become a staple in the Cheltenham community for years to come. 

You can find Edible Art Patisserie on the ground floor of the beautiful Courtyard in Montpellier.

Follow them on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/damienwager/ https://www.instagram.com/edibleartpatisserie/

Website https://www.edibleartpatisserie.com/

Have you registered for the scheme?

You can use the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme to offer a discount to diners and encourage them to eat at your restaurant.

You can use the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme:

There is no limit to the number of times customers can use the offer during the period of the scheme. Your customers cannot get a discount for someone who is not eating or drinking.

Alcohol and service charges are excluded from the offer.

Registration closed on 31 August.


Who can register

You can register if your establishment:

You cannot register:

If your application is based on dishonest or inaccurate information, your registration will be revoked.


What you’ll need
To register, you must have:

You may also need your:

If you are registering 25 establishments or less, you must provide the details of each.


If you’re registering more than 25 establishments


If you’re registering more than 25 establishments that are part of the same business, you do not have to provide details for each one.

You should provide a link to a website which contains details of each establishment participating in the scheme including the trading name and address.

You may also need to provide a list to HMRC on request, with details of all participating establishments.


What happens next

You’ll be registered instantly and will receive a registration reference number – you’ll need this when you claim the reimbursement.

You can download promotional materials to help you promote the scheme and let your customers know that you’re taking part.

You’ll be added to a list of registered establishments that will be available to the public.

Businesses that have more than one establishment are encouraged to register all establishments that are eligible to offer the scheme. Once you have registered your business it may be possible to add new establishments, but you will have to contact HMRC again and this may delay the establishment being included in the scheme.

If you want to be removed from the list of registered establishments, you should contact HMRC who will remove you manually. This is not immediate, so you must tell customers that you are no longer offering the discount.


When you start offering the discount

You should wait until you’re registered before you offer discounts to your customers. You cannot offer discounts before 3 August.

When you register for the scheme, it is expected that you will offer it during the whole of your opening hours on all the eligible days that you are open and on all qualifying sales of food or drink.

If a customer purchases a meal with the intention of eating it but then takes it away and leaves the premises, you can still apply the discount.


Records you must keep

For each day you’re using the scheme, you must keep records of the:

If you are using the scheme for more than one establishment, you must keep these records for each.


Making a claimYou cannot claim yet. The service you’ll use to claim reimbursements will be available on 7 August 2020. The service will close on 30 September.

You must wait 7 days from registration to make your first claim. HMRC will pay eligible claims within 5 working days.

You will be able to submit claims on a weekly basis.

You’ll still need to pay VAT based on the full amount of your customers’ bills.

Any money you receive through the scheme will be treated as taxable income.

HMRC will provide more guidance on how to make a claim when the registration service is open.


Other help you can get

HMRC have published guidance with more information on eligibility and how to offer the discount.

NHS have introduced the test and trace service to help track the spread of coronavirus.

Find coronavirus financial support for your business.


Contact HMRC

A dedicated phoneline and webchat will be available from 13 July 2020. This guidance will be updated.

ATCM Note: This appears to be UK-wide. Have not seen anything confirmation to contradict this.

After a long stint out of action due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Brewery Quarter is back in business with venues slowly and safely reopening their doors. All of the businesses in The Brewery Quarter are BID levy payers.

Ensuring that they’re keeping customers safe, The Brewery Quarter have put in place several hand sanitising stations throughout the scheme and in each venue, as well as social distancing markers.

Marketing Manager for The Brewery Quarter, Demelsa Coleman, said: “We’re so pleased to welcome back our customers to The Brewery Quarter. We’re taking all the appropriate steps to ensure our customers are kept safe during their time in our venues. With so much outdoor space for people to dine al fresco, it makes it that much easier for our customers to feel reassured that they can dine with us safely.

To encourage customers back into venues, Brewhouse and Kitchen, The Botanist, Cosy Club, Creams Café, SOHO Coffee Co and Son of Steak will all be taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out Government Scheme throughout August, offering eat-in diners 50% off food and non-alcoholic drinks up to a total value of £10 per person every Monday Tuesday and Wednesday.
Venues such as The Botanist and Brewhouse and Kitchen are accommodating more guests by expanding their outside areas, to ensure social distancing measures are followed, reassuring peace of mind amongst their diners.

Nando’s has already passed on the governmental tax savings, meaning customers can save 15% off their food when they order for collection or delivery, via their app or Deliveroo.

Customers can also get discount on NCP parking when pre-booking their space through a link on The Brewery Quarter’s website. Not only will customers get a guaranteed parking space for their visit, they’ll also receive a 25% discount using contactless payment saving both time and money. This offer will be available to customers throughout the summer holidays and into the autumn months.


For further updates on venues reopening over the next few weeks, customers can head over to The Brewery Quarter website or follow The Brewery Quarter on the social media
handles below:
WESBITE – www.thebreweryquarter.com
FACEBOOK – TheBreweryChelt
INSTAGRAM – @thebreweryquarter
TWITTER – @TheBreweryChelt

The Montpellier Courtyard is a specialty shopping centre in the middle of Montpellier Cheltenham. Since lockdown, businesses are planning to and have moved into the shopping destination, creating a new kind of buzz about the place.

The Courtyard is full of an eclectic collection of independent business varying from retailers to restaurants, home renovation and design services to hairdressers and even a tattoo studio.

Cheltenham BID’s Maria Allebone talked to the businesses of The Courtyard to get their opinions on how they feel about the shopping destination and how important they think independents are to a town centre.

A creative new patisserie called Edible Art, specialising in beautiful, colourful and unique pastries and cakes is due to open in The Courtyard on August 1. Damien Wager, owner of the new Courtyard business began his pastry career just four years ago, but he is already known for his wonderful pastry and cake creations, with nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram. Find examples of his work via his Instagram @edibleartpatisserie. Another new food business called Picknix will also be moving in to a first-floor unit in the next couple of weeks.

Above the expected patisserie is Silks Cheltenham – ‘an unrivalled and exclusive choice of mother of the bride holiday, and occasion wear collections as well as stylish everyday wear…’

Silks of Cheltenham offer an immediate feel of luxury, elegance, and quality. They mix sophistication and innovative design with high quality fabric and cuts.

Kerry Taylor, owner of Silks Cheltenham, said: “I for one love the fact that Silks is situated in The Montpellier Courtyard as there is nothing else like it in Cheltenham. It is unique and looks and feels like you are somewhere abroad. The Courtyard offers something a bit different with the variety of Independent businesses.”

Silks Cheltenham

New business Gallimore’s Kitchen, situated on the ground floor of the Montpellier shopping destination, opened just before lockdown but had to close because of the pandemic.  Lee Gallimore, chef owner said: “It is crucial to have a good level of independent businesses together, away from the main line of High Street chains. We are very lucky with our place in Montpellier and to have a beautiful outside courtyard area for our customers to enjoy”.

Rupert, chef and Lee Gallimore, chef owner of Gallimore’s Kitchen

Maria then spoke with Gemma Kay and Becky Hannis, co-owners of independent hairdressers Beau Amis. Gemma and Becky have been best friends since they were thirteen years of age and worked in big corporate salons for years. They both had the same dream of one day opening their own salon. It was eight years ago that they decided to take the leap and opened Beau Amis in The Montpellier Courtyard. They wanted to offer a personal experience from start to finish, where all clients would feel comfortable and safe.

It was the beauty of The Courtyard that appealed to the two hairdressers. Becky said: “The rent is more affordable than High Street and there is a sense of community.”

They both agreed that there needed to be little pockets of hustle and bustle away from the town centre to entice customers into other areas of the town.

Becky also said: “It is so important to be independent and offer something a little more bespoke, now more than ever. Beau Amis offers something personal and new.”

Gemma mentioned that: “Lockdown has made people realise how hard it is to run an independent business. Our business is personal, so customers know how safe and clean it is, and the changes we have made so they feel as comfortable as possible. Both of us have made the best out of a bad situation”.

Gemma Kay and Becky Hannis, owners of Beau Amis

au Panache, an independent family run boutique specialising in gift ware and home décor sits near enough adjacent to Beau Amis.

Taylore Greene, owner of au Panache, said: “The businesses that rent in The Courtyard are independent, unique and offer a good service. We offer a personal shopping experience, including gift wrapping. People want to see and feel the products before they buy them.”

The Courtyard is in a residential area and most of Taylore’s clientele live locally and walk to the store regularly. Parking is much easier to find in Montpellier compared to the High Street. Montpellier has everything you need for a full shopping experience – a pharmacy, restaurants, retailers, grocery shops and even a tattoo studio.

au Panache

Both L’una Design and Kitchens by L’una are businesses owned by husband and wife business partners, Dustin and Michelle Wise. They offer the complete package of home interior design – high-class personal service right the way through from planning, project management, source and supply, installation to lighting the candles on your dining room table, the finishing touches. Both Dustin and Michelle are incredibly passionate about what they do, and it shows through the personal experiences they offer.

Dustin said: “The Courtyard’s appeal to businesses is its boutique nature, it is a follow-on from Montpellier’s ethos of independence. Although The Courtyard has been around for thirty years, there has been an increase in new businesses moving in. We have been here for eight years and there has been four new businesses move in the last few years and five if you count the patisserie that is about to open downstairs.”

The couple say that The Courtyard is a place for discovery, full of like-minded determined business owners with a positive way of thinking. All pro-active in the way they run their trades. Areas like The Montpellier Courtyard make the town more interesting. The way the High Street is going there could be a shift to retail and residential and Montpellier have been doing that for years.

Michelle said: “There is always such an eclectic group of positive businesses here which creates a lovely vibe about the place.”

The couple hope that people remember their chain of thought through lockdown and stick with supporting local and independent businesses, remember who stayed open and was there for the people when times were hard. Dustin and Michelle have started a ‘support local business’ campaign across their social media channels to help keep the memento going, thanking the people who supported their business and other independents.

Kitchens by L’una studio

Deano Jouni, owner of TokyoTattoo Studios said: “Montpellier personifies Cheltenham and The Courtyard is the heart of the area. For myself, I wanted to run a business in a place that was different, there are lots of preconceived ideas of where a tattoo studio should be, and I like to go against the grain. I wanted to create something that surpassed anyone’s expectation. When you come into the studio you don’t expect it to look the way it does, you don’t expect it to be here in such a beautiful surrounding. Most studios are not in prime areas of the town whereas mine is.”

TokyoTattoo Studios, found on the first floor of The Courtyard shopping destination, is known for its ultra-hygiene, and creating an experience like no other.

When Deano found out he could reopen his tattoo studio they already had three- or four-months’ worth of bookings that they had to reschedule, as well as new appointments – making them booked up right up until November.

The pandemic has shown how well the business was already set-up and Deano has not had to make any changes. Everything was already contactless, and taps were all automatic along with the Dyson hand dryers. Hand sanitisers, hygiene stations and alcohol gel were already in place. The interior of the building (designed by Deano) exists in zones. As you step in to the business, you walk into a controlled environment; when a customer enters the business, they do not enter straight into the studio, there are panes of glass that separate each section and within the tattoo studio itself there is an air filtration/extraction system – TokyoTattoo Studios has been COVID-secure for seven years. The only thing Deano had to put in place was the perspex screen across his reception desk.

Deano worked with a lot of local brands and businesses within The Courtyard last year during his Tokyo Fest, he said: “If these businesses are successful it will then in turn mean that we are successful. That is where a lot of the bigger brands fall down, they are not interested in collaborating or working with independents and I think that is why The Courtyard works.”

TokyoTatto Studios

Independent barbers BiberianGray, owned by Steve Gray, Dee Biberian and their French bulldog Gizmo, moved into the ground floor of The Courtyard just after lockdown.

Steve Gray explains the business as clean, stylish with a mixture of  modern and old school feel, minimalistic but with the focus being on ‘luxury’ and a safe space. The barbers even have a DJ every Saturday for all to enjoy! Both owners (especially Dee as a musician), wanted to focus the business around music as it brings people together.

Dee grew up in Cheltenham and when he was younger The Courtyard was the spot for shopping. Where L’una Design is now used to be a children’s wooden toy store called ‘Once a Tree’ and Dee’s dad used to take him there every Christmas when he was a boy. He left town for a while and when he came back, he saw the unit up for rent in The Courtyard and instantly knew where to start his business.

Dee said: “It is great to have a shopping destination like The Courtyard in Cheltenham as independents cannot compete with High Street brands, we all help each other out here. Some independents have struggled and lost their businesses through lockdown whereas the big boys are still going, so I hope now that people feel more encouraged to come into the smaller businesses”.

Dee Biberian and Steve Gray – owners of BiberianGray

Other businesses include Bang and Olufsen and Caroline Charles.

If The Courtyard was situated in the town centre it would have a completely different feel. The Courtyard belongs in the beauty of Montpellier.

Come and visit all the charming business owners and businesses of The Montpellier Courtyard.

The Montpellier Cortyard

Businesses have been busy preparing to reopen safely and now that they have opened the main feedback from the public and enforcing authorities was that all businesses had done an excellent job of making their premises COVID-19 secure. Yet, more work was needed in managing queues outside of businesses. Cheltenham Environmental Health must stress the importance of doing your best in the interests of public health.

The BID and the authorities understand that having the necessary controls within the premises will mean that capacity is limited, and things take longer. This has an impact for the public queuing; however, businesses need to try and not compromise their controls within the premises.

Points for consideration:

Change you controls based on the above

Who is responsible for managing the public queue?

It is all of our responsibility, the business, the public and the enforcing authorities (Police and Environmental Health Officers). Where there is not a safe system of work for managing people within your business and on the ‘curtilage’ or the access or egress from the premises is not safe then this may fall foul of The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Where the public are not socially distancing and forming a public gathering, then this may fall foul of the Health Protection (Corona Virus Restriction) regulations 2020.

We all need to do the right thing to prevent any sporadic upsurges of Covid-19 in the region.

As always, I am here to try and help businesses navigate through this difficult period. You will not get everything right first time, but the important thing is that you review your controls and if a control does not work as hoped then try something different.

Bernadette Reed – Senior Environmental Health Officer

bernadette.reed@cheltenham.gov.uk 

Independent women’s footwear boutique Keith Scarrott Shoes, who are celebrating their 45th Anniversary have just released their AW20 collection and it’s their best one yet! Thoughtfully created by Managing Director Sophie Scarrott, the collection encompasses a variety of unique shoes, trainers, heels and boots. With a keen attention to detail, the range incorporates bold metallics, luxurious suedes and exceptional leg-lengthening cuts.

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Keith Scarrott Shoes pride themselves with their exquisite one-of-a-kind designs, which provide comfort and style for any occasion, from nights out to everyday wear. Passionately designed in the heart of the Cotswolds, the shoes are then delicately handmade by Artisan family-owned workshops in Venice, Italy, and some of the best factories in Spain.

Their stand-out AW20 campaign shoot has been impressively curated solely by the boutique’s talented employees, in efforts to minimise breaching Covid-19 regulations. The outstanding photography was shot by Grease and Grain in a luxurious private house in Cheltenham and styled by Sophie Scarrott, while part-time shop assistants Megg McEvoy and Beau Worboys modelled the collection. A true team effort! All styles are available from Keith Scarrott Shoes in Cheltenham, or online at keithscarrott.co.uk

We are working with Visit Cheltenham on a Christmas campaign and would like to be able to share a joined-up town centre message about a safe and convenient place to come and do Christmas shopping during November and December.

Are you planning on opening late?

Are you planning any safe festive activities?

Please email info@cheltenhambid.co.uk

What is the BID is doing? –

The BID will ensure that Christmas is special this year by providing completely new Christmas lights across the town centre, supported by Cheltenham Borough Council. It also plans to put on a range of family activities and continue to work with businesses to make Christmas as special as possible.

As well as the sparkle during the darker hours, the new Christmas lights will bring a gleam during the day.  Golden baubles will hang from the trees on the pedestrianised Promenade and gold powder-coated holly, reindeer, stars and harps will adorn the lampposts in other streets.  A new Christmas tree will be installed at the Montpellier roundabout.

We have a fun interactive augmented Christmas trail up our sleeves. Christmas Spirits will spring to life when children scan the QR codes hidden in businesses windows around town, as they attempt to find Father Christmas ‘s brother and win an ebook, as well as an exciting Christmas Cheltenham Gift Card campaign to include a fun festive viral competition on the theme of supporting local and a £1,500 Cheltenham Gift Card first prize provided by the Gift Card company.