Hebden Bridge Web

Council announces fund to prevent future flood damage

Monday, 11 January 2016

Calderdale Council has announced that a Repair and Renew grant is now available for properties affected by the floods on Boxing Day 2015.

Up to £5,000 can be claimed for work that will help to protect buildings against future flooding. This can be for work which will help to reduce flood damage, or which will make it easier to clean up and dry out a home or business afterwards. This could include installing removable cupboards, self-closing airbricks and non-return valves, replacing wooden floors with polished concrete or tiles and using water resistant mortar and lime based plaster when doing repairs.

Grants can also be shared for work such as barriers to car parks, or combined into shared community resilience schemes. These often have a bigger impact than work to separate buildings, especially in residential areas.

Council staff are now investigating where community schemes might work and how these can be designed. There are many examples of work to protect buildings against floods and case studies showing how communities have worked together on schemes on the National Flood Forum website. There is also more information on Calderdale Council's website.

Leader of Calderdale Council, Cllr Tim Swift said, "We want to encourage as many people as possible to take up these grants. Although the scale of the floods this time meant that many homes and businesses were overwhelmed, we did see good examples of where earlier flood protection work helped some people cope better in the aftermath.

"This can be a complex area; what works for some buildings might not be the best solution for others, so please do contact us for advice on this and on how to make a claim."

For more information and an application form please visit Calderdale Council's website or call Calderdale Council on 01422 288001.
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If you are a business or a community group and your premises have been affected complete the grant application form and email it to: business@calderdale.gov.uk.

If your home was affected please email your completed application form to floodfundingteam@calderdale.gov.uk.

Alternatively completed forms can be posted to: Repair and Renew Grant Application, Northgate House, Northgate, Halifax, HX1 1UN