Bid for government funds for flood prevention cash

North Yorkshire Council has asked the government for extra funding to support a flood prevention scheme following damage from Storm Darragh.

Hundreds of properties in towns and villages around the county were flooded and left without power earlier this month due to heavy rainfall and strong winds.

The local authority said it had requested £350,000 from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to help protect homes from future storms and bad weather.

Councillor Keane Duncan said one of the priorities would be helping Kirbymoorside and the surrounding area after 50 properties there were flooded.

He told the BBC: "The council is contributing £100,000 and we're bidding for £350,000 from Defra, and we're also bidding for £480,000 from the regional flooding and coastal committee as well.

"We have got 120 properties in North Yorkshire that could benefit from this scheme as they have been identified as being at-risk, such as in Kirbymoorside, Kirby Mills, Gilling East, or Helmsley, and we hope to start fitting things in April or May."

Duncan said the council was hopeful of being able to provide about £7k per property to fit flood prevention and alleviations measures.

"There will be an array of different measures that will make people have the peace of mind if and when they need the best possible protection," he added.

The councillor said they expected to hear early in 2025 about how much money the authority would receive.

The government said earlier this year that it was investing £5.2bn between 2021 and 2027 in flood and coastal erosion projects across England.

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