Advice for businesses

Business Support

A full range of business support measures are available to UK businesses and employees. Use this  link to the coronavirus business support website to find out how to access the support, if you are eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply. You can also find out what we are doing to help for Business Rate payers .

Business and premises closures

View the latest government guidance on the closure of certain business and venues on the Gov.UK's guidance page.

For security advice on business premises and working from home, please see top 10 tips from the Police and National Counter Terrorism Security Office  [377.74KB] .

Our regulatory services team is here to make sure that businesses are following the closure rules, if you have a concern please email Regulatory Services.

For information on business rates and reductions, please see our Business rates relief and reductions page.

Workplace safety

View the latest government workplace safety guidance for different employment settings that now include pubs, bars and restaurants, hotels, other guest accommodation, hairdressers, beauticians and skin piercers on Gov.UK's Working safely during Coronavirus page. 

We have produced a Covid-19 risk assessment template [23.48KB] to help you ensure that your workplace is Covid-secure. If you have less than five employees, you do not have to write anything down, but it might help if you do. For further advice on what to include in your Covid-19 risk assessment, visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

If your business premises is closed, please take a look at our Coronavirus - Legionella guidance.

Re-opening of certain businesses

On 23 June, the government published guidance about the re-opening of certain businesses and venues from 4 July. 

Licensed premises

See our premises re-opening information for members of the licensed trade in Guildford.

Find out how to apply for a Pavement Licence.

Food businesses

If you are a food business such as a restaurant or café and are thinking of starting a takeaway or delivery service at this time, please see our useful Coronavirus - food safety advice for takeaway and delivery web page.

If you run a mobile street food takeaway business, such as an ice-cream van, please read our Coronavirus - advice for ice-cream van traders and mobile street food traders.

Taxi and private hire drivers

We have written to all taxi and private hire drivers about changes to operations during this time. You can read the email and download the declaration form on the Information for current licence holders.

Animal businesses

As of 4 July, The Canine and Feline Sector Group working with DEFRA, has updated its advice for pet businesses, including breeders, rescue and rehoming centres, groomers and dog walkers etc. 

Construction business

On 13 May the Government published a statement about construction site working hours to enable safe working with social distancing. 

Local planning authorities are expected to approve requests to extend construction working hours temporarily until 9pm, Monday to Saturday, unless there are compelling reasons against this.

Please read the full statement.

We will work with developers to make this change by considering Non-Material Amendment applications for most proposed changes to working hours that fall within the statement's guidelines.

All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have any queries, please email planningenquiries@guildford.gov.uk.