Summer flooding farmland receives government repair funds

Last week a £2M fund, named the Farming Recovery Fund, which is designed to help the victims of the devastating summer flooding opened its application process to farmers in North Yorkshire, Wainfleet, and Lincolnshire.

The fund will allow each farmer, who suffered uninsurable damage at the hands of the previous season’s extreme weather, to apply for grants valued between £500 and £25,000 to cover the costs of any necessary repair work.

The Farming Recovery Fund was announced in early August following the £5.25M Bellwin scheme which will support the wider recovery of the effected area, funding the reparation works to roads and bridges which were damaged in the summer flooding.

The grants distributed as part of the Farming Recovery Fund will be used to cover the cost of rebuilding dry stone walls, re-cultivate productive land, and replace fencing.

The Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers stated: “This summer’s unprecedented weather wreaked havoc on farmland in North Yorkshire and Wainfleet. The Government is taking action to help farmers get back on their feet in light of the extensive damage suffered.

“I am therefore delighted to open the Farming Recovery Fund and would encourage all those affected to check what they are eligible to apply for and to submit an application promptly to ensure they can access the money available to contribute to their restoration work.”

The CLA North Director, Dorothy Fairburn added: “In early August, the CLA welcomed the Rural Payments Agency’s announcement of £2 million flood recovery funding for farmers in North Yorkshire and we are delighted that this funding can now be accessed by those affected by the flooding.

“We collaborated with the RPA to make sure the application process is as simple as possible, and we encourage those affected to apply for funding under this agreement as it will enable farmers and landowners to re-construct the landscape, allowing communities and the visitor economy to re-boot.

“We have been working closely with farming support organisations and the local MP to ensure a swift and robust response to this very difficult situation. The diverse nature and quality of this response exemplifies what resilience is all about.”

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