Small businesses across North Devon are being urged to check their eligibility for the government’s coronavirus support grants. The £10,000 grants areto support the many small businesses which pay little or no business rates due to receiving small busi- ness rate relief (SBRR) or rural rate relief (RRR). A £25,000 grant is also available to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from smaller premises, with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000. So far, two thirds of the eligible businessesin North Devon have applied and North Devon Council has paid out almost £25 million to 2,114 local businesses. In total 2,500 businesses have submitted forms but around 1,500 are still yet to apply. Leader of North Devon Council Cllr David Worden says: “We’re concerned that some businesses don’t think they are eligible or that this is some sort of loan that they’ll have to pay back, but that’s not the case; this is a grant that does not have to be repaid. These grants provide a life-line to local businesses so it’s concerning that a third haven’t yet applied. We’ll be making a concerted effort to contact them all over the next couple of weeks to ensure that these busi- nesses receive…