Council reveals full details of flood recovery support schemes in Leeds

Leeds City Council has today released additional details of the financial support being made available to help households and businesses recover from the recent floods.

In terms of households, the council is offering two schemes to help domestic properties affected by flooding following Storm Eva:

• A £500 compensation scheme to help householders recover from the floods. This may, for instance, help with rental costs at a temporary home.
• A council tax relief scheme to aid longer-term issues caused to residential properties by the flood, with 100 per cent discount on council tax for a minimum of three months

The £500 compensation will be a cash payment to householders affected. For details of the qualifying criteria for properties as well as additional support and guidance on flood recovery visit the council’s website at www.leeds.gov.uk/council/Pages/Council-support-for-flood-hit-homes-and-businesses.aspx.

The council is looking to make payments as quickly as possible and expects the first payments to be issued today directly into householders’ bank accounts where it has got all the information needed to make a decision.

In terms of businesses affected by Storm Eva the council is offering a range of measures including:

• A grant scheme providing up to £2,500 in cash to aid immediate clean-up and recovery costs.
• Full business rates relief for a minimum period of three months
• Visits to affected properties to assess damage and advice on recovery
• Environment health advice for businesses
• Assistance for firms needing to find alternative premises
• A flood resilience grant of up to £5,000 available to help make commercial premises more resilient to any future flooding - further details on this will be published at a later date.

The financial schemes are available to eligible businesses only. To see the full criteria visit www.leeds.gov.uk/council/Pages/Council-support-for-flood-hit-homes-and-businesses.aspx

The council is also working with the Manufacturing Advisory Service and Leeds City Region LEP to assist manufacturing businesses impacted by the floods, with visits already being made to more than 30 businesses to assess the damage and advise on the recovery to help get businesses back in operation as soon as possible.

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:

“The flood waters may have thankfully now receded but the problem has by no means gone away, people and businesses are still suffering so we need to do everything we can to help them make a full recovery as soon as possible and hopefully these measures can start that process. The point has been made loud and clear that in order to stop this happening again Leeds needs comprehensive flood defences to be in place as soon as possible, and we will continue to press the government until that has been successfully achieved.

“I would like to take this opportunity again to thank everyone in Leeds who helped and continues to offer help to those in need. All of the council officers, many of whom volunteered their services, deserve huge amounts of credit alongside the efforts of the emergency services and hundreds of community-based volunteers. Many stories are emerging of amazing efforts to help, such as the NHS nurses who visited people’s homes supported by the police in order to make sure some of our most vulnerable residents were safe. It is that sort of selfless commitment which makes me so proud of our city but it is important to stress the work very much still needs to go on.”

In addition to the support on offer to those affected, the council is also working with the Leeds Community Foundation on their fundraising appeal.

Funds raised from the appeal will be used to provide grants to affected householders, businesses and community groups. Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/leeds-flood-relief-appeal or by sending a cheque made payable to Leeds Community Foundation to Leeds Flood Relief Appeal, Leeds Community Foundation, 51a St Paul's Street, Leeds LS1 2TE. Further details can be seen at www.leedscf.org.uk.

Those residents or businesses looking for support can find out the details at www.leeds.gov.uk/council/Pages/Council-support-for-flood-hit-homes-and-businesses.aspx, call 0113 222 4444 or email floodrelief@leeds.gov.uk

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Roger Boyde,

Leeds City Council communications,

Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk