Leicester business forced into lockdown by the local Covid-19 spike have been told they will not be getting special treatment by the Government.
Business leaders have warned hundreds of companies could go under unless extra cash was pumped into the city’s economy.
Non-essential retailers in an area that stretches beyond the city boundaries were forced to close last week to try and halt the localised spread of the disease.
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There were accusations that some businesses had contributed to the high number of cases by operating through the pandemic without adequate social distancing and hygiene.
Bars, restaurants and hairdressers desperate to start earning again were also forced to stay closed.
The lockdown could remain in place until at least July 18 but could be extended for a further two weeks if coronavirus infection in the city doesn’t come down.
Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby had said health secretary Matt Hancock indicated to him last Friday that further money would be coming in to support firms.
However Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, who has been pressing the case on behalf of businesses on the brink, has received a letter from Nadhim Zahawi, Minister for Business and Industry at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy stating Leicester will get no extra help.
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Mr Zahawi outlined support already offered to city firms and said he hoped the lockdown would soon be lifted.
He said: “The Chancellor has already said there are no plans to change the scope or extend any of the schemes currently available”.
Labour’s Ms Kendall said it was a slap in the face for businesses.
She said: “The Government is hanging the city out to dry.
“This is totally unacceptable.
“We have no idea when we are going to come out of this lockdown, but the Government has now confirmed there will be no extra financial help for our city.
“No extended support for employees on furlough, even if we are still in complete lockdown when the Government starts withdrawing the scheme.
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“No extra money for businesses who are already struggling and at their wits’ end, forced to close their doors again or delay opening at all.
“And no extra support for the city council despite all the extra work they are doing to protect vulnerable people who are shielding, keep the homeless off the streets and get food to people who can’t even afford to eat.
“People in Leicester have already made huge sacrifices, and are going the extra mile to stay home once more, so we can get on top of this awful virus.
“They deserve better than a Government who just seems willing to leave people to fend for themselves.”
Paul Draper runs the independent Bread & Honey coffee shop in King Street.
He had reconfigured the shop to make social distancing easier, but said he might leave it the end of the summer before reopening.
He said: "We stayed closed because King Street was barren even when the city centre was open.
"Basically we are in at least an extra three weeks lockdown and I'm absolutely livid.
"Financially it hurts. I've had a grant, but it's been pretty much four months now and that's dwindling away.
"Realistically we would have hopes any grant would not just see us through closedown, but the difficult few months after."
The owner of another Leicester city centre deli and coffee shop was less optimistic and has decided to close for good.
The Pantry, in Loseby Lane, in the city centre, opened in 2018, serving a range of homemade vegan food and Peruvian coffee.
It closed in March, and owner Arti Chudasama, has now said it will not be reopening.
Posting on Facebook, she said: "It hasn’t been an easy overnight decision to make, but for this moment in time, it is the right decision for me.
"This doesn’t mean it's the end forever for The Pantry, it only means I’m working on another way to serve all you lovely, loyal, smiling customers my homemade vegan food.”
Scott Knowles, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber said it was a "massive mistake" to leave Leicester businesses with no extra help.
He said: “The costs associated with having recently reopened or having prepared to reopen, and then closing down again, are significant and underappreciated.
"A number of businesses have already lost money on perishable stock after getting ready to welcome back customers following an extremely challenging few months.
“Without further support, there will unfortunately be a greater number of business failures in organisations that, without the impact of the lockdown, would be fundamentally sound.
“Many businesses have picked themselves up again and again over recent months but given the severe cashflow restrictions many are facing, some will now question whether they are able – or indeed have the appetite - to do so again.
“We have lobbied Government to provide additional support in the form of grants, as opposed to debt that would just store up problems for 12 months’ time once interest rates pick up or deferred VAT needs to be paid. In order to support them in their planning and decision making, we have also asked for businesses to be given clarity over what a strategy for exit may look like and any tests that need meeting for the lockdown to end.
“The refusal from Westminster to provide any help means we now risk a two-tier recovery that risks disadvantaging Leicester, plus any other part of the country that may suffer a similar fate in the future, way beyond the actual period of the lockdown.”
Labour Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth said: “Tory ministers put us in lockdown and now they have abandoned the city, its businesses and their employees.
“We will continue to push for the support that be had been led to believe was coming.”
It had been hoped that Chancellor Rishi Sunak would have outlined extra help for the only city in a local lockdown in his summer statement last on Wednesday but that did not happen.
Leicester tax specialist Pete Miller, who runs a small office in the city, said: "No doubt if lockdown is extended they’ll still expect us to comply, but why should we if we’re getting no support?
"Our infection rates are currently lower than much of the rest of the country, so we should simply go back to normal."
Leicester-based business coach Marc Ford said there was little comfort for businesses within the city, but added that Leicester industry had a history of resilience.
He said: “There has been some interesting actions from existing businesses within the city but also some amazing and fantastic stories as they have grown through the current crisis.
“How Leicester and the rest of the country recover is not about how to get life back to normal, it’s about encouraging creative and exciting business owners to try and do something different.
“Despite everything the 海角视频 will never get this chance to do something so radically amazing again for many years.
Peter White, a Leicester-based office manager, said it was in the long-term interests of everyone for the Government to help out.
He said: “The ability to adapt is what sets our species apart so let’s embrace change and evolve.
“Now the peak of Covid-19 has past its peak it’s sensible logic to proportionately increase restrictions on a local basis as opposed to nationally.
“The logical basis for this being that it’s in our society’s long-term interests, so by the same token targeted geographical economic support should be in place too.”