Business owners and home owners whose property suffered flood damage as a result of the winter storms of December 2015 and January 2016, are eligible for grants of up to £5,000 to help to fund additional flood resistance measures – but they will have to be quick.
The deadline for applications to the scheme, which was set up last January in the wake of the floods, is 5 February and invoices must be received by North Yorkshire County Council to allow payment to be made by 31 March. The Government is providing funding to enable both the District and County Council to provide grants which include up to £5,000 to support the resistance and resilience of properties, as part of a national package.
The resilience grant enables those who have been flooded to better prepare their homes and businesses for future flood events, both to prevent flood water from entering the property and to speed the recovery if it does.
The Council has already contacted many of the people and businesses who were flooded at the end of 2015, inviting them to apply for the grant.
Anyone who thinks that they may be eligible should visit the County Council website at http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/31707/Flood-recovery-grants—residential or http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/31708/Flood-recovery-grants—businesses and complete the “Flood resilience and repair grant’’ application form online. Alternatively, hard copies of the forms, and assistance with completing applications, can be requested by contacting the Council on 01609 780780.
Councillor Carl Les, Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said: “Anyone who thinks they are eligible to apply, I would urge them to get in touch as soon as possible to find out. We know that recovering from these events is a very difficult process and therefore we want to encourage as many people as possible to get the support they need.”
Residents affected by flooding can also apply to the North Yorkshire flood appeal, set up by the Two Ridings Community Foundation, to apply for funding. More information is available atwww.trcf.org.uk
There is useful advice on understanding flood risk from the National Flood Forum. Its website sets out a step-by-step process for householders and links to a wide range of other sources of information, including the Blue Pages, which list a range of flood products and service providers, http://www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk
Information is also available from the Government at www.gov.uk