The Government has announced further support for people and businesses in areas affected by recent flooding – amid ongoing criticism of its handling of the situation.

An additional 100 UK Armed Forces personnel will also be deployed to South Yorkshire to help support the recovery effort.

The measures were agreed at yesterday afternoon’s COBR briefing, chaired by the Prime Minister.

Under the Flood Recovery Framework, the Government will provide funding to support the recovery efforts of local councils where households and businesses have been affected by the severe weather.

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will provide a Community Recovery Grant to local councils – equivalent to £500 per eligible household - to help communities with their immediate recovery.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will provide funding for a Business Recovery Grant which will provide up to £2,500 per eligible small and medium-sized businesses which have suffered severe impacts from the floods that cannot be recovered from insurance.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

“The recent flooding has had a devastating effect on people and businesses, and it’s essential that our communities have the support they need to recover.

“We’re announcing this funding to support households and businesses get back on their feet.”

The announcements come after the Government activated the emergency Bellwin scheme on Friday, 8 November 2019. Under the scheme, local authorities dealing with the flooding can apply to have 100% of their eligible costs, above a threshold, reimbursed by the Government. This could be for items including rest centres, temporary accommodation and staff overtime.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is also establishing a national Flood Recovery Group to provide individual areas with bespoke support and guidance. The Department has deployed Recovery Liaison Officers to the most intensely affected local authorities who will work closely with all councils and Local Resilience Forums.

Labour and Liberal party leaders propose increased funding on flood defence

The Prime Minister has come in for intense criticism over his initial assessment at the weekend that the flooding was not a national emergency.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson have both separately called for the severe flooding in northern England to be declared a "national emergency" and criticised the government's handling of the situation.

Jeremy Corbyn has said increased funding for flood defences and flood prevention schemes would be priority for a Labour government and that £5.6 billion would be spent on flood defences over 10 years as part of the party’s proposed £250 billion “Green Transformation Fund”.

The Liberal Democrats have also set out plans for a £5 billion fund to improve flood defences across the UK and to increase the environment department's budget by £1 billion per year.

Environment Agency warns over ongoing high flood risk

The Environment Agency is warning that flood risk remains high for the coming days with heavier bands of rainfall expected on Thursday and Friday, bringing an increased risk of further river and surface water flooding across flood-hit areas in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire where river flows will remain high and ground is saturated.

While the severe flood warnings with a threat to life are no longer in force, 34 flood warnings and 79 flood alerts are still in place.

EA field teams are continuing to work 24/7 to clear debris from rivers, operate flood storage areas and pump away flood water. In Fishlake, the village which has been heavily impacted by flooding from the river Don, ultra-high volume pumps have been deployed to pump away flood water as soon as water levels allow. Over 200 Environment Agency (EA) staff are now on the ground in South Yorkshire supporting local communities affected by the recent devastating flooding.

Doug Wilson, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

“More heavy rain could bring further and severe surface water and river flooding to parts of South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Thursday and Friday. Areas of South Yorkshire will remain affected by ongoing high river levels today through to Saturday.”

Elsewhere, frequent showers have fallen on saturated river catchments across the Yorkshire Pennines, Peak District, Staffordshire and Derbyshire which could also bring more localised river flooding to these areas.

The Environment Agency has described itself as “better prepared than ever to protect properties and homes in the flood-affected areas”.

New flood equipment acquired since the floods of winter 2015/16 includes an additional 40km of temporary barriers, 308,880 sandbags and 72 pumps, including 12 ultra-high volume pumps.

Since the flooding began last Thursday, approximately 13,500 properties have been protected by flood defences, including nearly 5,000 properties in South Yorkshire alone. Flood storage areas are also being operated to protect 7,000 homes in parts of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.