FLOOD-HIT FIRMS ‘COULD CLAIM £5K’
BUSINESSES affected by flooding in Carmarthenshire this month could be able to claim up to £4,999 from the county council.
Details of the business flood relief fund, established in the wake of Storm Callum, were being discussed and finalised at a meeting yesterday.
The £200,000 pot of money is coming from the council’s capital budget and is aimed at the 120odd businesses which were affected by the terrible conditions on October 12 and 13.
Proposed eligible costs include clean-up bills and repairs to buildings, but do not include those covered by insurance claims and loss of earnings and rent.
If approved, individual grant awards would be 50% of project costs up to £9,999, meaning the maximum grant would be £4,999.
Speaking last week, Mr Dole said the A484 at Cwmduad – the scene of a landslide which claimed the life of 21-year-old Corey Sharpling, of Newcastle Emlyn – would be closed “for some time”.
The Plaid Cymru leader said he had visited some of the worst affected areas, and that the storm’s cost to businesses was estimated at £3 million to £4 million not including loss of earnings.
Specialist teams had been drafted in, including divers, to assess damage to infrastructure.
The storm dumped up to 20cm of rain in some places, with Carmarthenshire and neighbouring Ceredigion bearing the brunt.
The repair bill for roads in Carmarthenshire has been estimated at £3 million.
Around 160 household- ers experienced flooding, and the council has rehomed seven families.
One couple from Johnstown, near Carmarthen, were in Tenerife when Storm Callum struck.
Darrell Nethercott, and his partner Cath Annear returned to find around £5,000 of damage to their house, but said it would have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for their neighbours, who put sand bags by the door and tidied up inside.
The council has also set up a £100,000 fund for affected householders and a furniture appeal in conjunction with Johnstownbased Xcel Furniture.
Mr Nethercott said: “Kids toys were floating around and it was a right mess in here.
“There was eight inches of water in our living room but I consider us lucky compared to others.
“Our neighbours have been so helpful, and there are a few that we hardly see or talk to, and we are so grateful.”