What the budget means to the Calendar region

FREEPORTS BUDGET
Humber to receive freeport status

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced his budget to help the country emerge out of the pandemic. 

The Yorkshire MP told the Commons that he will continue to do whatever it takes to protect people and jobs, but that the damage to the economy due to the coronavirus crisis has been acute. 

We take a closer look at what the budget announcements mean across Yorkshire and norther Lincolnshire.

What the budget means for the Calendar region

Over 300,000 in our region will benefit from an extension of the furlough scheme until the end of September. 

Almost half a million households claiming universal credit will continue to receive an uplift of £20 for another 6 months. 

And the region's tourism and hospitality industry will maintain a reduced rate of VAT until the autumn, with the Humber receiving freeport status. 

  • Humber Freeport will create a regional hub for trade, innovation and commerce. 

  • The new UK Infrastructure Bank will be headquartered in Leeds, benefiting from the city’s position as an established financial hub with excellent transport links across the UK

  • Upgraded ports infrastructure in Humberside to attract investment in offshore wind manufacturing and support up to 3,000 high quality, green jobs

  • Town fund deals for: Yorkshire and the Humber: Wakefield, Whitby, Scarborough, Grimsby, Castleford, Goldthorpe, Scunthorpe, Morley, Stocksbridge. Worth a total of £199m. Also for Newark, Skegness, Boston, Lincoln and Mansfield.

  • The government will invest £18.8 million in local cultural infrastructure projects in Carlisle, Hartlepool, Wakefield and Yeovil to boost the vibrant cultural life of these towns and cities.

  • Budget 2020 committed the government to invest £4.2 billion in intra-city transport settlements from 2022-23, through five-year consolidated funding settlements for eight city regions, including West Yorkshire, Sheffield City Region, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, West of England and Tees Valley, subject to the creation of appropriate governance arrangements to agree and deliver funding.

  • In 2021 - £5.2 million to Sheffield City Region, £7.4 million to West YorkshireCovid support summary for Yorkshire & Humber:

  • Prior to the scheme’s November extension, the government had supported almost 750,000 employments through the CJRS (furlough scheme). 

  • As at 31 January, the government was supporting almost 330,000 employments through the CJRS. 513,000 claims across the first three SEISS grants, totalling £1.3 billion. Over £2.9 billion and over £1.2 billion lent through BBLS and CBILS respectively.

Sheffield City Region was allocated £5.2 million to spend on transport. However, Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis said the government needed to do 'much more to prove its credibility' when it came to levelling up the North.

The Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Miriam Cates said Mr Sunak had unveiled 'innovative plans' to spread the proceeds of growth more evenly across the country.

Whilst further support for the self-employed was also outlined, some business owners say they are still being left out. 

James McKay from Sheffield trains animals for film and television - and even provided owls for the Harry Potter films.

James McKay and animals

He's now £50,000 in debt having not received any government support since he was forced to stop working at the start of the pandemic and says he fears for both his - and his animals - futures.