Leeds City Council has confirmed an initial range of financial support proposals which will be made available for households and businesses severely affected by the recent floods in the city. The current schemes provide by Leeds City Council are:

• Recovery grant for businesses affected by flooding up to £2,500 per business 

• Business rates relief for 3 months

Both are available to Small to Medium Enterprises, charities and other third sector organisations. The same application form should be used to apply for both schemes. Additional advice for businesses affected by flooding can here. Households and businesses affected by the recent floods in Kirkstall and Leeds city centre could benefit from a hardship fund set up by the council. In West Leeds, businesses down Kirkstall Road and at the Kirkstall Bridge Retail Park were all affected by the Boxing Day floods, which left parts of the area under several feet of water after the River Aire broke its banks. Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Since the terrible flooding last weekend, we have been working tirelessly with agencies and volunteers to help those affected by the initial emergency and to help them to start clearing up the debris left in its wake. Clearly, this is just the first step in a long recovery process and we will now look at some additional measures to help to continue this support.” “For householders affected, a new hardship fund is being setup which will provide up to £500 per household to help with recovery costs, such as provision of temporary accommodation.” The council will also provide council tax relief for residents whose homes have been severely affected. With regard to businesses affected the council propose to provide business rate relief and are also exploring a range of grants and loans to help get businesses back on their feet. They will have detailed discussions with affected businesses about what would work best and the additional support that they will need. The details of the financial support schemes can be accessed are on the Leeds City Council website. Anyone severely affected by the flooding and wishing to register for support should provide details of their name, address, daytime and evening telephone numbers and a short explanation of how their house or business has been affected and should either: Email the council at floodrelief@leeds.gov.uk Post to: Economic Development Flood Relief, Leeds City Council, Thoresby House, 2 Rossington Street, Leeds LS2 8HD Call: 0113 222 4444