Businesses 'never seen floods like this', says Cambs water park
Ride Leisure at Wyboston Lakes is calling for more protection
An activity and events business on the Cambridgeshire-Bedfordshire border has said flooding has put it at risk of closure.
Ride Leisure at Wyboston Lakes has seen one of its heaviest ever floods in recent years, having already dealt with flooding twice this year.
Since last week, managing director Malcolm Scott and his team have been cleaning the indoor areas that were covered in floodwater, while outdoors, water levels still remain high.
"We've never seen a September like this"
"The only way we can keep going is to reinvest ourselves into the loss of turnover and equipment so we can operate again next year; if we don't do that, we're closed down as a business," Malcolm said.
"We've never seen a September like this; this is the highest we've ever seen it, even after the floods we've had in various winters.
"We've got our loss of turnover from now through to the end of the season because we should still be open until the end of October, but that's immeasurable at the moment because we don't know when we can be back open."
Much of the equipment that Ride Leisure use - such as vehicles, machines and tools - has been damaged by flooding.
In January, small to medium sized businesses were able to apply to the previous government for financial support if they were in an area in England with "exceptional localised flooding" caused by Storm Henk.
More support needed
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said local river levels are not predicted to rise and that the weather over the next few days is "an improving picture into next week".
Malcolm said the business has received little Government support over the years to help protect it from future flooding.
"We're not planning to (close), but it's got beyond a joke to keep seeing this problem and not having any help from outside to alleviate the problem," he added.
"We're more than happy to do the work, but we don't have the expertise for certain defences or the finances to remain operable when this (flooding) happens."
A Government spokesperson said:
“Flooding is devastating for those affected and we hope that people can get back on with their lives as soon as possible. We know that local authorities are working hard to provide support, and we are working with them to understand the impacts on communities, households and businesses.”