Carmarthenshire Council halves rent for business tenants affected by latest lockdown

Carmarthenshire County Council business tenants worst affected by Covid-19 are being offered a 50 per cent rent concession.

The council’s Executive Board has agreed a further package of financial support for tenants occupying its business premises, including town centre retail premises and market stalls, who have suffered loss of trade since Welsh Government level four restrictions were brought in shortly before Christmas.

Tenants are being advised that they can apply for a 50 per cent rental concession for the quarter period December 2020 to March 2021, with help prioritised to those worst affected.

The council has already offered its business tenants free rent between April and June 2020 during the first national lockdown, and offered a 25 per cent concession on rent from July to September to traders who demonstrated that their turnover was affected.

Traders have also been supported by a range of Welsh Government grants, which have been distributed as quickly as possible to businesses affected by the October firebreak and the level four lockdown.

Cllr David Jenkins, Executive Board Member for Resources, put the proposal to fellow members of the Executive Board and was fully supported. He said: “The level four restrictions have had an inevitable impact on our business tenants, with many forced to close and others affected by the sudden drop in town centre footfall.

“We hope this latest rent concession, together with the national grants and extended business rates holiday, will support our tenants to get through this very difficult period.”