Councillors have approved a proposal on how to help businesses in North Norfolk which have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, a cabinet meeting of North Norfolk District Council met to discuss a report outlining recommendations on how to use £330,000 which has been given to the council by the Norfolk Strategic Fund.
The funding has been given to the authority in order to support initiatives that will help develop, promote and sustain the local tourism economy.
It is proposed NNDC will use the money to set up a grant scheme which local organisations can apply to for projects which will help attract visitors to the area outside of the traditional tourism season.
Richard Kershaw said; “This funding is going to be used to extend the season, its focus is getting expressions of interest from business which have suffered due to coronavirus and the aim is getting those businesses through to the next season, as many as possible.”
Liz Withington said she believed the funding would be a significant step for the district’s businesses but wanted assurance the Deep History Coast Project, which was designed in part to extend the tourism season would also benefit from the scheme.
Mr Kershaw confirmed the Deep History Coast would be a “fundamental part” of NNDC’s offering to businesses and the aim to extend the tourism season.
Sarah Butikofer, leader of NNDC, added: “I think it’s really important we do everything we possibly can to support our businesses and if some of them have the opportunity to extend their season either at the end of this year or indeed start early next then we should be supporting them in whatever way we can.”
Mrs Butikofer said the funding was just one part of a whole raft of measures designed to help businesses.
She said: “This was a fund that was put together by the District Councils, the County Council and the local LEP and I actually had to fight to get this money for tourism and North Norfolk and it’s something I’m actually quite proud of that we worked so hard together as a cross political spectrum group to make happen.”
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