Herefordshire bid to tap into £10million flood recovery cash

Herefordshire Council is urging anyone who suffered damage to their home during the July floods to contact it as soon as possible.

The authority is to make a bid for cash from the £10 million Flood Recovery Grant announced by government.

The money will only go to people whose house has been flooded – the cash cannot be spent to repair or replace damaged gardens, shed or garages.

However, the timescale is short – the council has to inform government of the number of homes hit by the flood in Herefordshire by Thursday next week, August 9, so people need to register their damaged home before Wednesday lunchtime, August 8.

It is expected that interim payments will be made the following week.

“For some people this will have been the second time their homes have been flooded in two months,” said Cllr Roger Phillips, Leader of the Council.

“The disruption and distress this has caused hundreds of families in Herefordshire cannot be underestimated. Although this £10 million will have to be shared nationally, we intend to make sure we get our slice of the money,” he added.

To enable the council to give an accurate picture to government of the effects of the floods on homes, it is urging anyone whose home was affected to contact the council in a number of ways:

· By telephoning 01432 260500 (including 9am – 5pm Sat and Sun this weekend)
· By sending an e-mail to: julyfloods@herefordshire.gov.uk

“All we need is the briefest of details: Name, address, contact details and the extent of flooding to their property.”

Meanwhile the council is seeking to secure cash from Advantage West Midlands to help bolster tourism in Herefordshire which has suffered as a result of the floods.