BUSINESSES in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park expect almost 300 jobs to be lost by the end of June as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, a survey has found.

And half say they don’t know whether their business will make it to 2021 if restrictions last into the autumn.

But the survey, carried out by the Community Partnership, a membership organisation for communities across the National Park area, found that many businesses remain bullish about their prospects if restrictions are lifted – with four out of five saying they think they’ll spring to life immediately if lockdown limits are eased in July.

The survey gathered information from 170 small businesses in the National Park in the first few weeks of the lockdown.

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Those businesses are responsible for 650 jobs, and according to the responses received, they expect that 292 of those – 45 per cent – will be lost by the end of June.

The survey also found that more than half – 53 per cent – of the businesses who took part in the survey were unsure, or did not understand, what help is on offer for businesses, or how to engage and claim, and that one in four respondents were completely unaware of what business support was available.

As a result of the survey, a new “information for business” page has been set up on the National Park’s website to provide up-to-date information, while the Community Partnership will carry out further work on behalf of the National Park Authority throughout the summer months.

Tim Tindle, chair of the Community Partnership, said: “In many instances these businesses are the cornerstone of our communities but what has come through clearly from this survey is that many of them are not actively engaging with, not able to or are unaware of how to access support that’s available nationally.

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“We’re working with the National Park Authority to address these issues by further highlighting these concerns to the relevant organisations and to provide more detailed information and signpost business to support.”

“The response from the business community has been really useful and we plan to run this survey again to gather further insight into how the lockdown period has further impacted as it has gone on.

“I’d encourage as many local businesses, particularly those smaller, individual businesses to take part so we can represent their voices and concerns as best we can.”

Gordon Watson, the park authority’s chief executive, said: “The business community of the National Park, and tourism in particular, makes a major contribution to the national economy at around £418 million and around 7000 jobs.

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“Supporting the rural economy is a fundamental part of the National Park Authority’s role and we are committed to helping local businesses and communities through this exceptionally challenging time.

"Key to that is working with them to gather accurate information about how the pandemic is affecting these communities, businesses and where they most need support.

“This survey complements those carried out nationally, by particularly drawing out the impact on these smaller, rural businesses that may not otherwise have engaged with those wider information gathering exercises and therefore might not have their voices and concerns heard.

“Through our Tourism Team and the Community Partnership we are working closely with communities to share up-to-date information and help access vital support as well as sharing the valuable information we are hearing from them with other partner organisations to inform the support they can provide.”

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