Flood grant application by county council to help flood risk Hucknall

Nottinghamshire County Council is bidding for government cash to help put in schemes to protect flood-affected areas of the county such as Hucknall in the future.

A report to the council’s next transport and highways committee in April outlines bids which have been submitted for what’s known as Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant in Aid (GiA) from central government.

“I have met with all the agencies as part of the bidding process for this grant money,” said Sherwood MP Mark Spencer. “I will also be lobbying the flood forum and apply pressure to get them to accept the application.

“This is good news for the town and gives residents light at the end of the tunnel.”

The committee is also being asked to approve potential contributions from the county council itself towards any successful schemes.

This includes a contribution of £410,000 to manage the Baker Lane brook in Hucknall town centre. It would also go towards improving ordinary watercourses, sewers and surface water linked to opportunities provided by the forthcoming Hucknall Town Centre Improvement Scheme.

The scheme for the brook running through Titchfield Park would involve managing flooding from the brook and surface water which has contributed to the issues on Thoresby Dale.

“This is great news,” said Thoresby Dale resident Ted Mullane whose house was flooded for the fourth time last year. “Finally something could be done but the downside is we still have to wait two years if they aren’t going to do anything before the relief road is built.”

The council already invests £600,000 a year in flood risk management schemes to protect communities and has successfully carried out a number of schemes throughout Nottinghamshire, often in partnership with others.

As a result of significant flooding in Southern England between December and February, the government has offered various financial grants and rate relief to properties in areas affected. Nottinghamshire however, as with many other local authorities, is excluded from these grants.

Residents in Hucknall, as well as other areas who were severely affected by last summer’s floods, are therefore at a disadvantage to those affected later in the year in other parts of the country.

Coun Steve Calvert, vice-chairman of the transport and highway committee, has written to Defra asking that government support be extended to all areas affected by flooding in the current financial year.