The Council has launched a new Business Flood Resilience Grant to help small and medium sized businesses at risk of flooding to install new protection measures to their properties. The Grant can contribute 100% towards the eligible project costs, up to a maximum of £10,000 to each eligible business.
The new grant has been made possible thanks to £250,000 funding from the Council, which is aimed at helping Rhondda Cynon Taf businesses to become more resilient to future storm events. Severe weather has hit the County Borough in recent weeks, including Storm Bert on November 24 – during which a significant number of businesses were severely impacted by flooding.
A similar scheme was launched after Storm Dennis in 2020, and businesses that took up the grant then proved much more resilient to, or were protected from, flooding during Storm Bert.
You can find out more about the Business Flood Resilience Grant on the Council’s website, here. The site includes more information on eligibility and how to apply, and an Expression of Interest form which should be completed and returned to regeneration@rctcbc.gov.uk.
The Grant will give priority to those small and medium sized businesses that can evidence that they were affected by flooding during Storm Bert. However, applications are open to all small and medium sized businesses. Businesses that do not own the property can still apply for the Grant, but they must provide written consent from their landlord to undertake the works.
Funding can be provided to support a variety of works via the Grant – that range from internal doors to floodgates, floor coverings and skirting, internal wall boarding, raising power points, and internal storage of stock/equipment.
Councillor Mark Norris, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Prosperity and Development, said: “The Council has brought forward this important £250,000 funding to help businesses across the County Borough protect their properties from the future threat of flooding. It will be able to fully-fund all eligible projects that cost up to £10,000 – with no match funding contribution required to be made from the benefitting businesses.
“We all saw the terrible flooding during Storm Bert in November, and it is clear that the threat of Climate Change is sadly making such severe weather events more common. The newly-established Business Flood Resilience Grant will give priority to those businesses that were badly affected during Storm Bert – and will also give other businesses across Rhondda Cynon Taf, which believe they are at risk of flooding, the opportunity to apply.
“Today’s announcement follows on from the emergency support provided by the Council immediately following Storm Bert. The Community Flood Recovery Grant made available £500,000 from General Reserves to offer financial assistance to residential and business properties that were flooded. That £1,000 support has so far reached 181 households and 51 businesses.
“I’d urge all small and medium-sized businesses that were affected by flooding in recent weeks to find out more about the new Business Flood Resilience Grant on the Council’s website, and apply via the expression of interest form.”
For more information about the help available to residents and businesses following Storm Bert, please visit our ‘Flooding Assistance’ webpage.
