People in Herefordshire affected by flooding from Storm Henk in January 2024 could be eligible for further financial help to protect their homes and businesses, thanks to Property Flood Resilience funding from Defra.

Property Flood Resilience (PFR) includes a range of measures that can be installed on a building to reduce the risk of floodwater entering the property. PFR can also be used to make the inside of a property more resilient (also known as recoverability) minimising damage even if water does still enter the building.

It will be available to households and businesses where the habitable living or business areas of their property have been damaged by floodwater entering the property, or where drying out and/or repairs to the fabric of the building have been necessary.

To be eligible, measures must either keep water from entering a property or reduce the damage water can do once it enters a property. Owners are responsible for finding a suitable contractor, and grants of up to £5,000 will be paid once the council receives proof and invoicing for approved measures.

Cllr Philip Price, Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure, said: “The county experienced significant flooding as a consequence of Storm Henk, with dozens of properties known to have flooded. I’d encourage everyone whose property was damaged by flooding in January to take advantage of this grant support.

“All of the eligibility criteria, as well as the expression of interest form, is available at herefordshire.gov.uk/pfr, along with a range of resources about how to protect your property from flooding.”

Published: 22nd August 2024