ounslow Council is handing out cash to spend inside local businesses after the borough’s economy was hammered by the pandemic hit to Heathrow.
Every home in the West London area has been sent a £20 “ShopLocal Voucher” to spend anywhere they like, with the exception of gambling outlets. More than 330 businesses have already registered to take part.
Pre-Covid Hounslow boasted the second-fastest growing local economy in London, with an economic output of over £13 billion per year. But many people living in the area and working at Heathrow lost jobs as airlines made redundancies after Covid hit, compounding the hit to local businesses from months shuttered.
Hounslow cabinet member for finance, Shantanu Rajawat, told the Standard lockdowns saw local business claims for council tax support soar by almost 60%.
The borough is facing a jobs crisis and “concentrated economic challenges”, and over 900 business premises have closed since March 2020 despite Government support.
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