Flood resilience survey and up to £5,000 grant funding
Following the impact of Storm Henk in January 2024, Blaby District Council is working with the Environment Agency and Leicestershire County Council, the Lead Local Flood Authority, to help you improve flood resilience of your property.
Blaby District Council is offering a free property flood resilience survey for properties that experienced internal flooding. This survey, typically valued at £800, is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) government grant. Please note that this grant funding is only available until 31 March 2025 so this is a one-time opportunity for the free survey as we may not have any funding available in the future.
Purpose of the survey: The survey aims to provide detailed information on appropriate flood protection measures for your property. It will identify the most effective measures to install and can be used to apply for Government funding through Leicestershire County Council, with the aim of financing the installation of recommended measures up to the value of £5,000.
Eligibility: If your property was internally flooded during Storm Henk you are eligible for:
1. A free property flood resilience survey
2. The Government’s Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant of up to £5,000 for flood resilience measures.
The flood survey is only offered to those who have not already commissioned a survey through their insurers or Leicestershire County Council.
Survey details: The survey will be conducted by RAB consulting, an Environment Agency approved surveyor. It will offer practical recommendations to safeguard your property against future flooding. The cost of the survey will be covered by Blaby District Council, so you do not need to make any payment.
Next steps
1. Register Your Interest: If your property was flooded internally and you are interested in a free survey, you must let us know by Tuesday 25 February 2025. Use the button below to register.
2. Survey Arrangement: Once we receive your response, Blaby District Council will refer you to the Environment Agency’s approved surveyors, RAB Consulting. They will contact you to schedule a suitable date and time for the survey. The survey will take approximately one hour and will require access to both the interior and exterior of your property. Please note that this survey may recommend measures that are above and beyond the PFR grant limit of £5,000.
3. The Report: After the survey, you will receive a detailed report, outlining your flood risk and recommendations for suitable measures designed to reduce the impact of flooding on your home.
4. Choosing Your Measures: There is no obligation to proceed with any of the recommendations made, but if you wish to proceed and install some or all of the flood protection measures, contact Leicestershire County Council to apply for the PFR grant. You can apply online or by emailing floodgrant@leics.gov.uk
The County Council will also be able to provide advice on suitable suppliers of flood protection measures. You will then need to obtain quotes from suppliers.
5. Approval and Reimbursement: Before purchasing any flood protection measures, please seek agreement from Leicestershire County Council that you can proceed. If you are given the go-ahead to proceed, protection measures will need to be installed by 30 September 2025.
Leicestershire County Council will be able to reimburse you for any flood mitigation measures you put in place, through the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant, up to a value of £5,000. Any additional cost will need to be covered by the property owner. Invoices for the installation work will need to be emailed to floodgrant@leics.gov.uk
Timescales
Blaby District Council only has access to the UKSPF funding until 31 March 2025, so the survey must be carried out by then, as no further funding will be available after that date.
If you decide to proceed and have flood defence measures installed, you will need to have applied for the PFR grant via Leicestershire County Council by 31 August 2025 and have quotes and plans in place by 30 September 2025 to qualify for reimbursement through the Government’s PFR grant.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Blaby District Council Customer Services on 0116 275 0555.