SMALL businesses in Exmouth and across the district will get help to grow and flourish thanks to a �68,000 cash boost from the district council.

SMALL businesses in Exmouth and across the district will get help to grow and flourish thanks to a �68,000 cash boost from the district council.

At the Council’s Executive Committee last week councillors backed the reinstatement of the Economic Development Budget.

The annual sum over the past three years had been used to give independent practical support to the district’s 5,500 VAT- paying businesses and the 2,000 other businesses which are too small to pay the tax.

The sum, �45,710 towards the Business Improvement Point in Oakhampton and an extra �21,770 to pay business consultants to help small businesses, had been removed from the 2011/2012 economic development budget only in February.

It followed concerns that cash from the Homes and Communities Agency was being pulled, and the budget from East Devon alone would not be enough to maintain the Growth Point Delivery Team tasked with boosting economic growth in the district to the East of Exeter.

But now the HCA funding of �50,000 has been reintroduced – on the condition that the district council, county hall and Exeter City Council also pay their way.

Councillor Graham Godbeer said: “I see the business support grant over the next 12 months to two years to be absolutely essential for small business growth in this district.

“Small businesses have no where to turn to at the moment.

“If we as a nation are supposed to pay off the national debt off the backs of small businesses heaven help them if they don’t have any support.

Councillor David Cox said: “People who start up a small business need finacial, personal and legal advice,

“They need someone to talk to about the fundamentals for cash flow and so on.

“I would support this for 12 months – small businesses need someone to hold their hand.”