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Storm Henk: Flood-hit businesses offered grants

Storm Henk: Flood-hit businesses offered grants
Dan Martin
Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events

Posted: Mon 8th Jan 2024

Businesses impacted by Storm Henk will be able to access grants of up to £2,500 and a pause in business rates for at least three months.

As with Storm Babet last October, the government said businesses affected by "exceptional localised flooding" in eligible areas of England can apply for the funding via the Business Recovery Grant scheme.

Eligible flood-hit property owners can also apply for up to £5,000 to help make their business more resilient to future flooding via the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant scheme, while farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land will be able to receive grants of up to £25,000 through the Farming Recovery Fund.

Business owners who think they are eligible for the funding should contact their local council for more details.

Impact of Storm Henk

As of 1.54pm on Monday 8 January, 142 flood warnings (flooding is expected) and 143 flood alerts (flooding is possible) are in place. Around 2,000 properties have been flooded.

Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said:

"Significant flooding is expected to continue along the lower River Trent today, while minor impacts are expected in parts of the Midlands and on the River Thames and probable along the River Severn until Wednesday.

"Groundwater flooding is expected across parts of Dorset, Wiltshire and West Hampshire and also possible more widely across parts of the south of the country and in Yorkshire and the Humber until Friday.

"Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, working to minimise the impacts of flooding where possible by operating flood defences and clearing watercourses. So far, nearly 75,000 properties have been protected in the last few days.

"We urge people not to drive though flood water and follow advice of local emergency services on the roads. Flood water is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm is enough to float your car.

"People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates."

Households "significantly affected" by Storm Henk can apply for up to £500 and 100% council tax relief for at least three months. They can also access up to £5,000 to help make their homes more resilient to future flooding.

Dan Martin
Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events
I'm a freelance journalist and event host who helps small businesses and the organisations that support them. I'm also Enterprise Nation's news reporter and Bristol Local Leader. I have 20 years of experience as a small business journalist having interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs from famous names like Sir Richard Branson and Deborah Meaden to the founders behind brand new start-ups. I've worked for a range of leading small business publications and support groups, most recently as head of content at Enterprise Nation where I was responsible for the prolific output of content on the company's blog and social media. I now freelance for Enterprise Nation as the website's news reporter and as the host of the Small Business sessions podcast. I'm based in Bristol where I run and host regular events with the local small business community in my role as Enterprise Nation's Local Leader for Bristol. I also have strong connections with other major business organisations in the south west region. In total, I've hosted over 100 events including conferences with an audience of hundreds for international brands like Xero and Facebook and live web chats from inside 10 Downing Street. With my partner, I co-run Lifestyle District, a lifestyle blog focused on culture, art, theatre and photography.

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