240,000 West Yorkshire jobs are "at risk" from Coronavirus crisis

And over a third of local businesses have less than three months of cash reserves.

These were some of the stark details heard by members of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, who met this morning to hear an update on how the Covid-19 pandemic was impacting the area.

The authority, made up of members of local Councils, met for the first time since lockdown and, because of social distancing guidance, the meeting was help online via the Zoom video app. It was also live streamed on Youtube.

Members heard that as well as dealing with the crisis and supporting business, it was also important that work was also being done to plan for the the end of lockdown and how West Yorkshire will recover

Devolution funding is vital for West Yorkshire's economic recovery - meeting hears

Leader of the Combined Authority, Bradford Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: "As Council leaders we are all doing a huge amount to support people through this time. It is hugely distressing for so many people.

"We are also looking at recovery plans."

Brian Archer, Director of Economic Services, gave an update on how the virus and lockdown was impacting business in the Leeds City Region - an economic area that includes most of West Yorkshire and Bradford. He said: "The region has had 1,900 business liquidations in March, up 62 per cent from the previous March.

"We estimate that 240,000 jobs are at risk in the region.

"Two thirds of businesses have furloug'hed staff and over a third of businesses have less than three months cash reserves."

He said that although the government had made a number of loan schemes available to businesses, including the civil loans scheme, they were not always as efficient as businesses needed them to be. He added: "As of last week 300,000 loan applications have been made nationally. 4,200 loans have been approved, that's one and a half per cent.

"That has changed. As of this morning £1.1 billion has been loaned to businesses across the country." However, 80 per cent of firms were struggling to access finance. The authority was pushing for easier access to these loans, and was providing its own support for West Yorkshire businesses.

People who have lost their jobs were being provided with a "matchmaking" service to help them find work.

As well as supporting businesses and regeneration, the Authority also oversees bus services and public transport.

Councillor Kim Groves said bus patronage had fallen to 10 per cent of normal levels, but the authority was propping up bus providers. She said: "We're planning what the recovery will look like for bus users, it is really crucial we get transport up and running as soon possible when the economy starts to move again."

She said one bus operator had ceased trading because of the current situation.

Councillor Judith Blake said: "There has been an incredible amount of work to keep a skeleton service running.

"There is a real concern that the service isn't going to return quickly anywhere near to the position it was before.

"We have a key role in helping the recovery when it comes."

David Pearson, Director of Transport Services, said: "Recovery for public transport is going to be quite difficult. The patronage the network enjoyed prior to the pandemic is not going to materialise overnight. Social distancing will be an impact in the recovery period."

Cllr Hinchcliffe said: "We need to think about how we re-build our economy for jobs. There is a whole lot of work for us to do on recovery. We need to think about recovery now. What we can't have is coming out of the other side and wait another three months while we put recovery plans in place."

A new group of authority members will be set up to focus solely on economic recovery, including how the region reacts once lockdown is lifted.