Businesses are being urged to be patient regarding Covid-19 grants as the Forest of Dean District Council finance team continues to assess applications against the backdrop of a rapidly changing national situation.

To date, the Forest of Dean District Council has paid out £896,372 to 629 businesses from the mandatory and discretionary schemes for the lockdown ending on December 2.

A further £52,014 has gone to 66 pubs in the district which remained closed or which could serve only drinks over the Christmas period.

Applications covering the Tier 3 and 4 restrictions period from December 2 to January 4 are in the process of being assessed along with payments to pubs where food comprises up to 50 per cent of their income.

The Council finance team is also now reviewing fresh Government guidance for the new lockdown with a one-off top up grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the spring, depending on rateable value.

Cllr Bernie O'Neill, cabinet member for the economy said: "We appreciate business concerns and our team is working incredibly hard to process applications as quickly as possible.

"An already highly complex situation has been made more so by the new lockdown and I would urge business owners to be patient and we will process payments as soon as we can."