Flood risk homes get £2.6m defences

Chris Wheal

Mar 12th 2010

Text SizeAAA

Environment Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies yesterday announced the second round of the £5.5m Property Level Flood Protection Grant Scheme, providing £2.6m to help households protect their homes against flooding.

Can those of us not at risk of flooding have some money please? Why do people at risk of flooding get government help but those at risk of other threats - burglary or vandalism, for example - get nothing?

The cash is part of the government's response to Sir Michael Pitt's review of the 2007 floods. The cash will go to 34 schemes in areas at high risk of flooding, enabling 532 households to get practical flood protection solutions such as air bricks covers, storm porches, door guards and flood boards.

More extreme weather

Irranca-Davies said: "In the future we must be prepared for more extreme weather on all levels.

"There are 490,000 properties at significant risk of (river/coastal) flooding in England. Since the floods of 2007 we have been taking action on a range of fronts to protect against the heart breaking damage and destruction that can be caused by floods.

"Property level measures like flood boards aren't appropriate for every situation, but as was shown in Appleby at the end of last year, they can be a very effective way for householders to protect their homes."

Flood warning service

Robert Runcie, Environment Agency director of flood and coastal risk management, said: "We welcome the second round of funding for Defra's property level flood protection grant scheme.

"We urge all individuals and businesses at risk of flooding to make their property more resistant by fitting products such as flood gates, in addition to signing up to our free flood warning service"

Raising the alarm

My insurer says I have to have an alarm, connected constantly to a control centre. Apart from the fitting, it costs more than £450 a year in fees. If I have to pay this, why can't fools who choose to live in flood plains pay for their own defences?

Councils will deliver the scheme locally and are able to tailor schemes to suit the needs of their communities.
Councils awarded round two grants are

Huntingdonshire District Council
North Warwickshire Borough Council
Malvern Hills District Council
Newark & Sherwood District Council
Herefordshire Council, Shropshire Council
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
East Riding Of Yorkshire
Middlesborough Borough Council
Northumberland
Eden District Council
Allerdale Borough Council
Carlisle County Council
Warrington Borough Council
Cheshire East Council
West Devon Borough Council
North Devon Council
Bath and North East Somerset Council
Teignbridge District Council
Bournemouth Borough Council
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Fareham Borough Council
Waverley Borough Council
South Lakeside District Council
London Borough of Sutton
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Leeds City Council

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-13-2010 @ 9:24AM

Joseph Carter said...

Regarding the Flood Risk comment. People living in Flood hit areas should pay for it. Two years before the floods, I questioned the bank about the high premium for my House Insurance given that I'd never made a claim. Their response was they already knew we lived in a flood risk area, & we paid the price just in case. When the floods came they flooded properties within 100 yards of my house, my garden got very wet, that was it. Try telling the builders who used sub standard materials to repair the houses, but billed the Insurance companies for quality. These builders should be refused insurance for fraud. Tell the lazy councils to clean the gullies.