Council officers lobbying to support Midhurst businesses after hotel fire

Work to support struggling Midhurst businesses is ‘continuing at pace’ after the Angel Inn fire brought many outlets to their knees, a spokesperson for Chichester District Council has said.

Last week, senior officers from the district council met with government officials to argue for funding support for shop owners and, although no official funding sources are currently available, officials have promised to further investigate the issue.

More than 60 businesses have already applied to the District council’s £200,000 grant fund, which was set-up to help ailing businesses who have seen a lapse in footfall ever since North Street was closed following the fire. In total, Chichester District Council has set aside £300,000 and Midhurst Town Council has promised a further £5,000 to help the town get back on its feet.

The spokesperson added that business owners and community groups will also be free to apply to future rounds of grant funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund.

On top of this, the council has seconded a member of its economic development team to support businesses for tow months following the fire. Alongside working with a group of businesses to coordinate a recovery plan, this officer has also offered support and guidance to more than 100 local businesses. Key activities are due in the next couple of weeks to help spur businesses in the town centre, and promotional plans to encourage shoppers into local businesses are already underway.

With site visits completed and tender work submitted, it’s hoped that work on the Angel Inn’s historic frontage will continue and the road will be opened soon. “All of the agencies involved, and the owners of the buildings affected, are committed to doing everything they can to get the road reopened to vehicles as soon as possible and helping Midhurst to recover from this dreadful incident,” a spokesperson said.

The announcement comes after a demonstration in Midhurst Town Centre last week, during which business owners came together to lobby for the reopening of North Street, claiming its closure had significantly effected their businesses.

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