Businesses which faced closure during Bolton's local lockdown in September have been divided by changes made to the Covid Local Restriction Support Grant.

Close contact beauty services, which were closed for two weeks until September 26, can now apply retrospectively for the grant.

Previously, they received no financial support during that closure.

This means a beauty business offering close contact services could receive up to £1,500 if they have a business with a rateable value of £51k and above.

Those with a value of less than £51k and more than £15k can receive £1,000, while £667 is available for those worth £15k or less.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We have now had written confirmation from the government that the changes to the Covid Local Restriction Support Grant will apply retrospectively to some businesses in our borough.

“The new grant is paid every two weeks rather than three weeks, which was the previous arrangement.

“We are pleased that close contact beauty services which were not eligible previously, due to falling short of the three-week closure period, can now apply for a payment.

“However, unfortunately no additional payments can be made to the hospitality sector.

"This is because the additional restrictions were in place for three weeks, and they needed to have remained closed for a month to trigger a second payment.

“Many pubs and restaurants did receive £1,000 for a 3-week closure under the previous scheme, whereas under the new system they would have only received £667 for closing.

“We are continuing to press government to do all it can to help our businesses.”

Dina Varsani, who runs Devine Hair & Beauty in Church Road, Horwich, said: “This is really good news, obviously at the time it felt very unfair that we received nothing.

“It will help a lot, it’s good to se that they are actually acknowledging the beauty industry has been let down.

“It’s a lot better, everything helps right now.”

Meanwhile, the news was gladly received by Dionne Leece, who runs The Dressing Up Box in Tonge Moor.

She said: “That’s absolutely amazing news, it sounds very interesting.

“It helps a lot to get anything back. There were so many times when we had to keep restocking, we didn’t know if we were opening up or not, there was a lot of uncertainty, I had to take out a bounce back loan.

“Hopefully this money will help with paying that back.”

However, hospitality businesses, which were closed for three weeks, are unable to apply retrospectively for the revised scheme.

The revised grant can only be paid in fortnightly intervals.

Rebecca Brayshaw, who runs the Little Bolton Town Hall said: “It makes no sense. It’s starting to become really tiresome.

“It makes you wonder what on earth was happening in that conversation to lead to that conclusion, it doesn’t seem quite right.

“We were closed for the three weeks under a local lockdown, and they’ve made the rules so it doesn’t fit with our closure.

“It’s another disappointment.”

John Wray, the owner of The Venue bar on Churchgate, added: "I'm very disappointed to hear this. There doesn't seem to be any equity in the support.

"They should distribute the grant on a weekly basis full stop. The fact is, if you're closed for a week you lose that week's takings which you never get back.

"I imagine the decision to make it two weeks' worth means there's a circuit breaker lockdown round the corner."