Member Article

Farming Recovery Fund Does Not Cover January Floods

The devastating floods which affected the North East region earlier this month are not currently eligible for compensation under the Farming Recovery Fund, warned land property and consultancy George F White.

Currently, the fund is only available to those who were flooded in the December storms. However, vast areas of rural Northumberland suffered extensive damage during the first week in January following prolonged and exceptional heavy rain.

Claire Bainbridge, a Rural Chartered Surveyor at George F. White, said: “The Fund is available for damage caused by extreme circumstances and January’s flooding have not been listed as extreme, like December’s storms. We strongly disagree with this as for those businesses affected it is no less devastating, with long term and possible irreversible results. For example, we are currently working with one client who has lost over 30 acres of land as the River Till has adjusted its course and made an island of a previously productive field. In fact, all along the River Till many farmers are struggling with the loss of fences, stone walls and water gates as well as damaged crops and loss of grazing. The damage has been exacerbated by most of the land being protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. This means that those farmers will be unable to remedy any damage without consent.”

George F. White is currently campaigning to change this and get the damage caused in the January floods covered by the Farming Recovery Fund. The consultancy has contacted local MP Anne Marie Trevelyan, who is meeting with Defra shortly and has been supplied with photos and details of flooded properties by George F. White in order to highlight the need for this extension.

Claire Bainbridge stressed: “At the moment, it’s a chicken and egg situation; farmers are not applying for the Fund as the dates do not cover the January storms, yet Defra will not know of the extent of the damage unless farmers report it. There is no guarantee that they will adjust the dates, however it will be important to send in evidence of the damage to build a case for a potential date extension.”

If you have been affected by the floods and have damage to your property which the Fund would cover it is important to inform Defra. You can contact David Hume at George F. White on 01665 603231 or davidhume@georgefwhite.co.uk to discuss the Fund in more detail. Those farmers who are NFU members should also contact Call First as they are also pushing hard for an extension to the dates.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by George F White .