COVID-19 Business Guidance
March 2022 - Latest COVID Business Update & Guidance
For all the guidance on living with COVID please visit our Council pages for more information.
Financial Support
Business Support
Business Guidance during Coronavirus
If your Business has been affected by COVID-19 (whether it's a supply chain issue, problems exporting goods or staffing concerns) please get in touch with the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Growth Hub by emailing support@gbslepgrowthhub.co.uk or call 0800 032 3488. Their business resilience Account Managers will discuss with you how their services may be able to help your business throughout this period.
Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
GBCC Support:click here for the latest information on the support available from the GBCC
Advice & Guidance: click here to visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) hub offering information, advice and guidance from the GBCC and their members
The Latest News: register here for the ChamberLink Daily newsletter to receive the latest information and guidance direct to your inbox every weekday
If you are a member, you are asked to contact your relationship manager if you are experiencing issues. Latest updates are issued through the Chamberlink Daily bulletin and @grbhamchambers social media account as well as a dedicated page on their website.
Federation of Small Businesses
For small businesses and the self-employed, the Federation of Small Businesses have information and guidance on their web pages.
Specific Areas of Support
For start-up and early trading business advice and support please contact our Enterprise for Success advisors.
For social enterprises and entrepreneurs there is a Social Enterprise Helpline, ran by iSE.
For Tourism businesses, there is a dedicated page on the West Midlands Growth Company website.
For information regarding Solihull Town Centre updates please visit Solihull BID webpages.
To speak to a member of the Business Investment team, please call 0121 704 6151/0121 704 6167 or 0121 704 6920 or email business@solihull.gov.uk.
More coronavirus advice and information can found on Solihull Council's website.
The Business and Planning Act 2020 was passed to promote economic recovery and growth in response to the economic impacts of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The Act includes urgent provisions designed to make it easier for premises in England serving food and drink such as bars, restaurants and cafes to seat and serve customers outdoors through temporary changes to planning procedures and alcohol licensing. For more information and to apply, click here.
As part of the recent announcements from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) the government will be introducing a time limited development right through secondary legislation to allow the temporary change of use from a pub (A4 – drinking establishment) and a restaurant (A3 – restaurants and cafes) to a hot-food takeaway for a period of 12 months to allow for local deliveries as part of the Coronavirus effort. Businesses are asked to notify the local authority if they plan to do this planningenforcement@solihull.gov.uk
Also, steps are being taken to relax planning controls over food deliveries -including the time and number of lorry deliveries to retailers and distributors of food and other ‘essential’ deliveries during the Coronavirus period. For advice for business considering food deliveries, please click here. For Government guidance for food businesses, please click here.
Further information can be found at the MHCLG website.
With recent guidance being issued the Travel Choices Team are aware that many businesses are looking into agile working / home working options. They have put together some useful information and have made available a free downloadable resource to help. Visit the TfWM website to register for the information and resource on their website. For advice on Smarter Working please contact sustainabletravelteam@solihull.gov.uk
VisitEngland in partnership with the national tourist boards for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, have launched a new industry standard to help businesses reassure customers that they comply with official public health guidance on COVID-19.
Over 11,000 businesses have already gone through the application process and received a “We’re Good to Go” certificate to display on their premises. Read more.
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Business Guidance during Coronavirus
The law requires food businesses to register as a food business or approval. The main purpose of registration is for the Local Authority to know what businesses are operating in the borough and ensure it receives an inspection.
Further information on how to register a food business for free and food hygiene training can be found here.
- Food Management Systems
If you are operating a food business you should have already identified the potential risks and have procedures in place to ensure the food sold is safe. The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 requires businesses to have a food safety management system based on the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). In summary it is a written document to demonstrate what you are doing to make food safe.
The Food Standards Agency has developed a pack for small caterers and retailers free to download here.
Further information relating to food safety including allergens and free online allergen training can be found at the Food Standards Agency.
- National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (NFHRS)
The NFHRS is run in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and is a national scheme providing businesses with a rating from zero (indicating the business to improve standards) to five (customers can be confident of high standards) after every inspection. To find out more how this scheme will apply to your business, guidance on how to improve your rating or to search for a rating within the borough please click here.
- Imported Food
If you are a business looking to export or import food please click here for further information.
The current COVID-19 situation has affected our daily lives in many different ways. Our regulatory services teams are working hard to protect businesses and consumers in the current environment.
Businesses are urged to remain vigilant and aware of recent COVID-19 scams to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis. Visit the Action Fraud or National Trading Standards websites for information about scams and advice on how to protect your business including Business Against Scams - a free online tool developed by National Trading Standards to protect businesses.
West Midlands Police are maintaining a visible presence across our communities. However, they need your help to ensure that your buildings are as secure as they can be. Click here for some useful advice for you to consider to protect your premises during this time.
Business Guidance
Accidents in the workplace have a cost to those personally involved and economically. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) site contains information on all areas of business and industry to assist duty holders in meeting their legal duty under The Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974.https://www.hse.gov.uk/
Those businesses wishing to carry out Acupuncture, Tattooing, Skin Piercing and Electrolysis must be registered under The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and follow the bylaws that regulate the provision of such activities. Further information regarding skin piercing activities including how to register, fees and bylaws can be found here.
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