Businesses affected by the promenade regeneration scheme could be able to claim up to £6,000 support from the government.

The ministers for Infrastructure (Ray Harmer, pictured) and Enterprise (Laurence Skelly) sent a joint letter to businesses informing them of a one-off grant scheme that could be available to them.

A DoI spokesman said: ’The government is working together to help minimise the impact on businesses as the prom works continue, as well as investigate options for future support.

’As part of this, the Department for Enterprise has created a new grant scheme to provide financial support to alleviate some of the impact to cash flow of the regeneration work.

’Businesses that comply with the eligibility criteria will be provided with a one-off £6,000 grant.

’This scheme is the first step in a series of measures that aims to enable businesses to meet the challenges they are currently facing, and prosper once the promenade works are complete.’

To qualify, businesses must have been operational on May 1 and be based between the southern end of Loch Promenade and Strathallan Crescent.

During a recent Tynwald committee hearing, several businesses revealed the work had led to a decline in trade.

The letter to promenade businesses was referred to in a written answer from Douglas Council leader David Christian with questions on it from councillors.

He confirmed to councillor John Skinner that ministers had referred to the ’pending development of a more comprehensive support scheme’.

Mr Christian restated that the council will not be offering rate reductions to businesses affected by the works, saying: There has been ’no reduction in the essential services provided by the council as a result of the promenade works which is a government capital scheme’.

He added: ’In addition, whilst rates allowances would give only a minimal advantage to individual businesses, the impact on the council in terms of lost income, which was required to fund those essential and statutory services which the council’s workforce is making every effort to maintain at this difficult time, was potentially significant.’

And he said that the council has been working to ’supply key information’ to the government as it ’sought ways to support the business community along the promenade at this time’.