Photographs and videos depicting heart-breaking tales of flooded homes and businesses in Perth and Kinross will be top of the agenda at a council meeting today.
Members of Perth and Kinross Council’s executive sub-committee for strategic policy and resources will hear how the Scottish Government is providing £3.94 million to local authority areas most affected by severe flooding caused by Storm Desmond, and is also allocating additional funding to residents and businesses hit by Storm Frank.
As part of the qualifying criteria for a flat-rate grant of £1,500 from the Scottish Government, evidence has to be supplied to support an application.
This could be photographs or videos of homes flooding, independent reports from emergency services or a local authority official and evidence of a call to emergency services or the council.
Council chiefs will hear that around 200 flooded homes in Perth and Kinross could receive financial help from Holyrood.
Barbara Renton, Perth and Kinross Council’s environment director, states in a report to the committee that the total revenue funding allocated to the area will be £1.65m. She writes: “This additional allocation extends the scheme to provide payments of £1,500 for properties affected by flooding.
“The funding is to be used by local authorities to provide each flood-affected household, business, community groups or charitable organisations with a flat rate of £1,500 if they have been affected by an inundation of water from flooding.”
Guidance has also been sought on relief for those flooded on July 17 in Alyth, Bankfoot and Birnam.
Ms Renton also reveals the Scottish Government will provide funding to local authorities to enable them to make a flat-rate payment of £3,000 to businesses where there is evidence that their ability to trade was “severely impacted” by flooding that took place from July last year to January.
“The grant is a one-off payment to offset costs which can’t be covered by existing insurance, such as clean-up costs.
“Only households and businesses which were directly affected by the flooding during the periods July 17, December 4-6 (Storm Desmond), December 29-31 (Storm Frank) or the flooding in early January will be eligible to apply for the grant.”
Perthshire North MSP John Swinney said: “I am delighted that Perth and Kinross Council, who handled the flooding challenge with such effectiveness, has now moved swiftly to announce the grant support that is available to members of the public.”