It was great to be out in Molesey today with local Conservative Councillors Steve Bax and Peter Szanto, and Xingang Wang, visiting businesses on Molesey High Street and Bridge Road to see how they’re getting on during Coronavirus. The past few months have been really challenging for these businesses. I was impressed to see how agile and innovative many of them have been – like the cafes turning their hand to deliveries – carefully following the government’s COVID secure guidelines.
It was also encouraging to hear how important government support has been in keeping businesses afloat. Business owners told me that they’d made use of the furlough scheme, Bounce Back Loans, small business grants and business rates relief.
There was a really good buzz in Molesey today. Even so, while many businesses have been able to re-open, it’s clear they’re still facing a tough time, like In Harmony beauty salon that has had to delay offering facials to customers as the 1 August opening was pushed back, given concerns about the virus. I would encourage residents, where they can, to get out (with a face covering) and support our local retailers, cafes and restaurants.
For my part, over the coming weeks I’ll be visiting businesses and high streets across Elmbridge, listening to their experiences of Coronavirus and making sure they have the support they need.
