A business owner says he cannot sleep at night after he was refused a grant that would help him reopen his firm, with the pandemic having forced him to move home, sell his cars and rely on foodbanks.
Chris Griffiths closed his Merseyside firm Griffiths Car Care at the start of the third English lockdown. But he has now been refused one of the Government's Restart Grants, with the council adamant he is not entitled to one as there was no legal requirement for it to close.
Ex-army serviceman Chris said his ‘detailer’ firm, like many businesses that closed that month, is “non-essential” - as its main focus is “washing and machine polishing cars to make them shiny”. He said he had received “all” of the Government support packages up until this point.
The council said it was “genuinely disappointing” that Chris’ firm had suffered due to Covid but that unlike others, he did not contact the authority for advice before closing for the most recent national lockdown in January.
Chris, 41, said he had discussed the matter with the council - and that the business receiving a Local Restrictions Support Grant back in January proved it.
Chris, who was a main battle tank crewman, told BusinessLive : “We have had all grants up until the Restart Grant, now they say I shouldn't have closed as I'm a repair business, and so essential.
"I wash and machine polish cars to make them shiny - how they twisted that is beyond me. Nearly all my clients cancelled jobs as they couldn’t travel to have their cars cleaned.
“I can’t even afford to reopen and our security company has even removed my alarm.
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“We’ve lost everything over the past year. I had a massive five-bed house in Maghull, a garden like a footie pitch, a brand new Audi and a 6 Series BMW but we are broke. We have nothing now."
He accused the authorities of “not listening at all”, adding that he kept getting passed between the Department for Business, council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Restart Grants are provided by the Department for Business to local authorities who then handle the process and pay out to eligible firms.
He added: “It's absolutely disgusting. I started this business after leaving the army, I started washing cars in dealerships around Liverpool, then it ended up with high-end cars.
“I kept the business in Knowsley to try and help people like myself gain jobs.
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“We had just invested heavily in a new unit on the same estate in Kirkby the week before lockdown, and now we are getting screwed over.
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“I'm not stupid, I wouldn't chase them if I was wrong.”
He said other similar businesses around the country had been affected in the same way, adding: “If we can’t reopen I have no idea what I will do. I’ve done this since I left the army and it is the only thing I can do.
“This is our only income and it’s affected us massively. My nine-year-old son has been hit hard. Having to rely on foodbanks isn’t great, but I’m so happy they are available.”
A spokesperson for Knowsley Council told BusinessLive that throughout the pandemic “we have supported Knowsley businesses with a range of advice and support, particularly around the Government guidance issued”.
The spokesperson added: “Many businesses contacted us for advice around whether they could open during lockdown, but Griffiths Car Care didn’t and the decision to close the business during lockdown in January was made by the owner.
“Whilst Mr Griffiths appears to be suggesting that his business operates as a car wash, it is apparent that Griffiths Car Care predominantly offers specialised and bespoke car detailing and paint correction services from its studio.
“As such, many of these services could be treated as being car repair and there would have been no legal requirement for the business to have closed in January 2021.”
The statement continued to say the council wants to assist local businesses whenever it can - and “has a proven track record of doing so”.
The spokesperson added: “As with all other businesses in Knowsley, we shared all of the business support schemes and grants that were available with Mr Griffiths.
“We did not receive an application for the Local Business Support Grant, but an application for the Restart Grant was received.
“Unfortunately this grant was unable to be paid as there was no legal obligation for the business to have closed.
“It is genuinely disappointing that Griffiths Car Care has suffered financially as a result of the pandemic but, as you will appreciate, the council must adhere to the conditions of this scheme, as it will be audited to ensure that it has complied with regulations.
“Our Business Grants Team have been in regular contact with Mr Griffiths regarding this matter and have responded to his correspondence."
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy took a similar view to the council.
It said: “We understand how difficult the pandemic has been for individuals and businesses, including for those in the automotive maintenance industry.
“Businesses mandated to close under the regulations were able to access grants of up to £4,500 per six weeks of closure during the period of national lockdown from January 5.
“Restart Grants are sector-focussed grants, introduced to support businesses as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
“We have issued clear guidance to local authorities on business categorisation and grant eligibility, and continue to monitor them to ensure businesses are receiving the support they need.”