Affected by Storm Henk? Apply for flood grants by Sunday 7 April

Shropshire Council now have access to flood recovery grants money from the Government, covering businesses and residents affected by Storm Henk from Tuesday 2 January 2024.

Businesses and residents whose properties were affected by Storm Henk are being urged to apply for a series of grants by Sunday 7 April 2024.

A flooded home in Melverley – February 2022

If you were affected by Storm Henk, which affected the county between Tuesday 2 January 2024 and Friday 12 January 2024, you may be able to apply for the following grants to help with your immediate needs:-

• Flooded households in affected areas can apply for up to £500, to give cash to help with immediate costs.
• Households and businesses significantly affected by flooding will be eligible for 100% council tax and business rates relief for at least three months.
• Small-to-medium sized businesses in affected areas will be eligible for up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant, to help them return to business as usual.
• Eligible flood-hit property owners will be able to apply for up to £5,000 to help make their homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding, via the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme.

Delay in accessing the Flood Recovery Grant 

In order for Shropshire Council to offer these grants to communities, the Government eligibility criteria requires councils to demonstrate that over 50 properties internally flooded during Storm Henk.

The Government also set strict timeframes for grants to be paid out, which Shropshire Council need to adhere to.

To gather the information on the impacts of Storm Henk, the council has been working extensively with its community support teams, Environment Agency, town councils, parish councils, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and other organisations to gather the number of known flooded properties across the county.

Following a community meeting held in Shrewsbury, additional affected properties were identified, to reach the 50 properties threshold.

As this information has taken some time to gather, the timeframe for residents to apply for the grants has been greatly condensed. As a result, applications need to be submitted as soon as possible, and before the deadline of Sunday 7 April 2024.

Ian Nellins, deputy Leader of Shropshire Council, and Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said:-

“I am pleased and relieved that we can now open the flood recovery grants to property and business owners internally flooded during Storm Henk, which affected the county in early January.

“We know that flooding has had a devastating effect on people and businesses across the county, and it is essential that our communities have the support they need to recover and get back to normal.

“We are aware that many people have already been in contact with the council because their property has been affected during the flooding, and Shropshire Council is absolutely committed to continue its efforts to support those affected.

“A large number of business and residential properties were affected by Storm Henk, and we would urge those eligible for the scheme to apply straight away, so they do not miss out on financial support that they may be eligible for.

“However, we do recognise that the criteria for applying for the grant is quite extensive, so we strongly advise people to read through it thoroughly before applying. Those who don’t qualify can still seek advice and support from the National Flood Forum.”

Although Storm Henk caused impacts across the county, only the flooding of habitable areas of a property can be counted towards this total; meaning the flooding of roads, gardens, garages and outbuildings are not eligible. These criteria and property thresholds are set by the Government, and outside the council’s control. 

Businesses and residents need to register their application by Sunday 7 April 2024.

To register go to www.shropshire.gov.uk/stormhenkrelief  

The council are contacting all affected properties they are aware of, to inform them that the flood recovery grants are now able to be applied for.

Due to the delay in offering this funding, please be aware that if you do not provide the relevant supporting information as part of your application, Shropshire Council cannot guarantee that your claim will be processed in time. Shropshire Council cannot be held liable for any claims that are not processed before the scheme deadline.

If you or someone you know has been affected by flooding there is advice, information and support at: Be prepared for flooding | Shropshire Council

The National Flood Forum are also there to support communities across Shropshire who are recovering from flooding. The National Flood Forum can be contacted via their website nationalfloodforum.org.uk/ or call their helpline on 01299 403055.