Grants launched for Cumbrian farmers affected by floods
Elaine Brass
17th December 2009
Cumbrian farmers, affected by the November floods, now have access to a £500,000 fund that will help them get their land back into use.
The money, from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, will be available from Cumbria’s two Local Action Groups (LAGs) – the Solway, Border and Eden LAG and the Fells and Dales LAG.
Farmers can apply for grants up to £6,800 to hire equipment or specialist contractors to move flood debris, such as fridges and vehicles, repair buildings and move gravel to the edge of fields. However, farmers who need more than £6,800 to clear their land will have to put their individual cases forward to Defra for consideration.
Commenting on the funding, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: “The effects of the extreme weather in Cumbria have caused a lot of distress and made life difficult for many people, including farmers. Many farmers have been severely affected, with large quantities of stones and other debris washed onto their fields. In the short term, the funding will be a big help to farmers to make their land usable again and to allow livestock back to graze. We will continue to work with local farmers to find the best way to dispose of, or reuse, the gravel and debris left behind.”
The North West Development Agency (NWDA) has been working with Cumbria’s LAGs to identify what help is needed by farmers and they will be responsible for the allocation of funds.
David Hunter, head of Rural Development at the NWDA, said: “Many farmers have been directly affected by flooding and have told us their immediate need is to remove debris from their land. This is costly and farmers need to get their businesses working again. I am pleased that following discussions we can make these funds available from today.”
Meanwhile, other Cumbrian small to medium-sized businesses affected by the flooding are beginning to see their recovery grants come through just two weeks after the NWDA launched its £1 million scheme. So far, 11 grant offers have been made totalling around £67,000. Advisers are currently dealing with over 300 affected businesses and 33 applications received.
Cumbria Chamber of Commerce is administering the grant scheme. Suzanne Caldwell, who is responsible for the scheme, said: “Building on experience of previous crisis grants, for Foot and Mouth and the Carlisle floods, we’ve been able to get the scheme up and running extremely quickly. The first application came in on December 4 and the first claim for payment a week later – which we paid out the same day. We’re absolutely committed to getting this vital support out to businesses as quickly as possible.”