Cash payments for homeowners hit by flooding on Isle of Wight

People can apply for government grants of up to ÂŁ500

Dozens of homes in Ryde were affected by flooding in October
Author: Jason BeckPublished 9th Nov 2023
Last updated 9th Nov 2023

People whose homes were flooded on the Isle of Wight can now get a government grant of up to ÂŁ500 to help pay for repairs.

Three months of council tax and business rates relief is also being made available to those significantly affected.

Around 120 homes in Newport, Ryde and East Cowes were hit by recent flooding, after storms Babet and Ciaran. were hit by a deluge of water last month.

Flooding in East Cowes

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said: "The recovery grant confirmation means that we get access to the immediate grants but also the longer term measures to help make more properties flood proof."

Councillors have asked bosses from Southern Water, the Environment Agency and Island Roads to attend a meeting in the new year, to provide answers on what happened.

A committee meeting heard a statutory report is being written, but Cllr Joe Robertson said it took nine months for previous reports about flooding in Binstead and Bembridge to be completed, adding “nine months of silence from the companies would not be acceptable to the committee or the public”.

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