PM throwing money ‘like confetti’ at flood-hit areas

Residents say offer of financial assistance ‘not enough’

FLOOD-HIT COMMUNITIES in Yorkshire have accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of throwing money around “like confetti” only after the event as he announced a series of measures designed to prevent a repeat of this month’s disaster.

Every home and business hit by flooding over recent weeks can now apply for a grant of up to £5,000 to help them better protect themselves in the future, while farmers are in line for up to £25,000 to help them cope.

However, even though extra funds were welcome for the 700 properties affected in South Yorkshire, Claire Holling, who owns the Old Butchers cafe, one of the hubs of the relief effort in Fishlake, near Doncaster, said the announcement was partially a case of being too little too late.

Ms Holling said now emergency services and politicians had mostly left the village, the atmosphere was quite “subdued”. And while she said extra money for shoring up properties against future flooding was a good idea, she said: “It’s like confetti with the money now, why were they not doing that before?”

Speaking to the Prime Minister said: “There is something uniquely traumatic about being forced from your home by floods. You endure the shock of seeing your property engulfed by water. Then you leave your life behind and you know that nothing will return to normal without a long and costly clean-up.

“Across England 1,000 properties have been flooded, the vast majority of which – 70 per cent – are in Yorkshire.

“When I visited Fishlake, waterlogged fields and flooded homes lay all around. St Cuthbert’s church was filled with donated food, clothes and bottled water.

“Nearby in Stainforth community centre, people who had evacuated their inundated homes were being given shelter. But the

road to Fishlake was impassable by anything except four-wheeldrive vehicles. People told me that months may pass before their homes are fully habitable again.”

He said the grant scheme, which would be up and running by the end of the month, would help people install things such as flood doors or raised electrical systems.

However a Labour Party spokesperson said: “Boris Johnson

had to be dragged to Yorkshire by Jeremy Corbyn to see the national emergency unfolding in Doncaster, Rotherham and

Sheffield. The Prime Minister’s response then and his response now is the same – too little too late.”

And Pam Webb, the owner of Truffle Lodge luxury spa in Fishlake who lost her home and business in just 20 minutes in the floods, claimed more investment was needed.

She said: “Any financial assistance is better than none, but it certainly isn’t enough.”

As well as the newly-announced scheme, Mr Johnson said local authorities were able to reclaim their costs incurred due to the flooding, and farmers could apply for grants of up to £25,000.

It comes as Labour’s candidate for Barnsley Central and Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis called for an emergency summit to be held in the next two weeks, plus a review of flood defences needed on the River Don by the Environment Agency.