The Environment Agency has helped to install property flood
resilience measures in 100 homes across the East Midlands.
Among the measures are flood resilient doors and barriers,
self-closing air bricks, underfloor sump pumps, and self-closing
non return valves on pipework and toilets.
By equipping properties with these measures, the scheme aims to
reduce the longterm impacts of flooding on homes, livelihoods,
and wellbeing.
Multiple funding streams have contributed to the £1.6 million
project, including funding from local authorities, Trent Regional
Flood and Coastal Committee and the government's Frequently
Flooded Allowance.
Homeowners were able to apply for grants following the flood
impacts of Storms Babet in October 2023 and Storm Henk in January
2024.
Jon Atkey, Environment Agency's flood and coastal risk advisor
for the East Midlands said:
From the outset of this project we wanted to increase the
resilience of the residents living in flood-hit
communities.
We did this by ensuring flood groups were established and had
flood wardens in place, and by helping people understand their
own flood risk and supporting them in putting in place place
their own personal flood plans.
We can't always prevent flooding, but we can help people
understand it, be better prepared and hopefully recover
quicker.
This project forms part of the Environment Agency's wider
commitment to strengthening flood resilience across the East
Midlands.
The properties are located across the region: in Bradwell and
Denby Bottles in Derbyshire; Girton, Collingham and Pleasley in
Nottinghamshire; and Redmile, Braunstone and Sileby in
Leicestershire.
News of the completed project comes as the Environment Agency
launches Flood Action Week (w/c 12 October) to help protect the
nation. The campaign urges people to check their flood risk,
draft a flood plan, and sign up for flood warnings.
Following a wet winter and a historic summer drought - the driest
July in nearly 2 centuries - the nation is now bracing for an
intensified, wetter winter. A new Flood and Drought Resilience
Taskforce has been launched by the government, and the
Environment Agency is ready to respond to both ongoing drought
conditions and any winter flooding incidents.
A one stop shop for flood
advice has been unveiled, with a focus to help people
understand their home's flood risk and take practical action to
reduce this.
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