By Daniel Wood
Kirklees Council approves cash for homes and businesses affected by the flood
Businesses in Kirklees will be eligible for £3000 and homes for £750 as part of financial measures after the flooding.
The council has said the money should be spent on elements such as clean-up equipment, essential fixtures and fittings, and temporary accommodation costs.
The authority said it was intended to help with the immediate recovery and clean-up costs from the effects of Storm Ciara.
Mirfield was one of the heaviest area affected by the storm.
The planning committee and Kirklees Council were made aware of the awful conditions that Mirfield had been subjected to from flooding over the years.
Mirfield’s councillor Vivien Lees-Hamilton confirmed this, as she said: “This area has been well known for flooding since long before I was born.
“We made the planning committee aware of this. I made the whole of Kirklees Council aware of this in the debate on the Local Plan.
“They took three houses out because they said they would flood but it all floods. I told them that and they looked at me as though I was mad. Who is mad now?”
The council said it has been notified by 47 residential properties and 19 businesses which had experienced internal flooding.
Authorities will also give council tax and business rates discounts to qualifying households, businesses and charities. The costs are being met through the adverse weather revenue reserve.
The scheme will be in operation for the rest of 2020 and any further severe weather that causes flooding will be covered by this.
Kirklees Council said it was still waiting for the government to trigger the package for measures it has announced earlier this month.
Now that the grants have been approved it is hopeful that the flooding issues in Kirklees improve and everything returns to what it was.