Help for those affected by the floods in Boston

The following message has been sent out by Phil Drury, Strategic Director & Deputy Chief Executive of Boston Borough Council:

Were you, or your family, friends, or anyone you know of in your ward  affected by the flooding in December 2013?  If so, please take a moment to read on…

Owners of flood-affected homes or businesses can apply for up to £5,000 per flood-affected home or business to pay to fund additional flood resilience or resistance measures for homes and businesses that were flooded on the 5^th December, 2013.  These measures could include things like a new driveway barrier or replacing doors and windows with water-resistant alternatives, or moving electricity sockets to a safer level. These measures are over and above repairs that would normally be covered by insurance.

The council has worked hard to make the process as simple and as stress free as possible for applicants.  A simple tick in the box on the application form that says Local Authority to do the work is all that is required.  We will then appoint a surveyor and arrange for the work to be carried out on their behalf.  The homeowner will not be required to pay anything (other than if they decided to have more than £5,000 work done in total, in which case they would only be required to pay the difference).  If anyone feels daunted by completing the forms then assistance with filling out the Government’s flood grant application form is available from Boston’s Citizen Advice Bureau at Boston Mayflower’s offices at Chantry House, Lincoln Lane, from 9am to 4pm every Tuesday until August. Please contact the Citizens Advice Bureau on 01205 318645 to arrange an appointment.

If you do not have the application form it is not too late to register your flooded property in order to receive one. Call Boston Borough Council on 01205 314315 or email flood.support@boston.gov.uk leaving your name, address and phone numbers. The deadline for applications from this fund is August 31.

The deadline for applications under the Business Support Scheme is June 27. This can provide hardship funding for businesses affected by the floods. This covers a range of things including non-recoverable insurance excesses for repair or replacement of buildings, equipment and stock; removal of debris; additional business accommodation or extra staff costs; structural surveys; security measures; additional marketing; exceptional costs; to improve access to/for suppliers and customers etc.

To apply contact the flood support scheme at Boston Borough Council on 01205 314315 or email flood.support@boston.gov.uk

At the moment we are aware of 661 residential properties and 113 businesses that were affected, but despite our best efforts to get this information in to the public domain, the take up so far has been slow  and so I would l be keen to hear from you if you have any thoughts or ideas on how we might disseminate it further.   Quite simply, I want to ensure that everyone who is entitled to the grants that are available is aware of the process.  In this respect I would be very grateful if you could forward this information on to family and friends or anyone who you think may be eligible to apply.