A ROW has erupted over why the lion’s share of more than £15 million of additional Government funding to help Bradford businesses survive the pandemic has not yet been paid out.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that, as of February 15, Bradford Council had not handed out any of the funds it has been given as part of the Government’s Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).

Shipley MP Philip Davies said that made Bradford one of only seven councils across the country not to have handed out any ARG cash at that point.

However, Bradford said it had now started to distribute funds available through the grant, with more than £560,000 from that pot already reaching district firms, with more due to be paid out next week.

The local authority pointed out that it is managing no fewer than 14 different grant schemes and has handed out over £170m in grants since the start of the pandemic.

Businesses not covered by other grant schemes or those needing additional help can apply for support through the ARG scheme via money paid out to local councils.

Nationally, more than £1.6 billion has been given to local authorities with Bradford receiving more than £15 million.

Mr Davies has branded the lack of payments “utterly disgraceful” and called for Government to investigate the situation.

He said: “This money was given to councils to help struggling businesses get through this pandemic but it seems Bradford Council is sitting by with £15 million in its bank while businesses in the Shipley constituency suffer.

“Some businesses have told me they have given up waiting for their grant. It’s absolutely tragic.

“People can’t afford to wait for weeks and weeks for council’s bureaucracy.

“I would like to think that by this stage all of the money would have been paid out. They have had this money for weeks and weeks.

“That is money that could be the difference between a business surviving or going bust and to sit on it is morally reprehensible.

“We need to be doing everything we can to support businesses right now and keeping people in jobs and it is appalling that money has not been awarded.

“I will be speaking with the Chancellor and Business Secretary asking them to investigate this further and to ensure all future monies paid to the council to support people throughout this extremely difficult time is paid out in a timely manner.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, says the local authority has now handed out a proportion of the cash as it continues to support district firms.

Referring to the mid-February data showing none of the payments had been made, he said: “This information is already well out of date.

“We have now paid out over £560,000 of the Additional Restrictions Grant with more expected to go out in the next week.

“We’re working round the clock to manage 14 different grant schemes and overall have distributed over £170m in grants since the start of the pandemic with over £40m of that paid out since the start of the November lockdown.”

The FOI from the Events Industry Alliance revealed just seven councils across the country reported no payments had been made as of last month.

Across Yorkshire and the Humber, as of mid-February, Leeds had only paid out 3.3 per cent of its grant compared to Wakefield which has handed out 42.5 per cent of its money and Ryedale boasts the highest at 62 per cent.

The deadline for eligible Bradford district businesses to apply for the government’s ARG was January this year.

In Bradford, the scheme has been designed to support non-essential retail, hospitality and leisure sector business that are operating in shared premises or where the landlord is liable to pay Business Rates.