Liberal Democrats say there will be less heartache if flooding funding upfront

Paying home and business owners in flood areas grants up-front to make their properties ‘resilient’ is “common-sense and will save a lot of heartache” claims Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani.

Homes in Shaw and Saddleworth have previously been flooded, and with climate change resulting in warmer and wetter weather there is an increased likelihood of further flooding in future years.

Councillor Al-Hamdani and his Oldham and Saddleworth Liberal Democrat councillors want to see the government do more to support home and business owners living with the risk by paying grants up-front rather than after disaster has befallen them, and they are bringing the issue as a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (3 November 2021).

Commenting, Saddleworth West and Lees councillor Al-Hamdani, who is proposing the motion, said: “It is common-sense to pay property owners money up-front to make their homes and business premises ‘flood resilient’, rather than paying them afterwards when they are faced with building repairs, the replacement of lost or damaged personal effects, and an enormous clean-up. All the evidence shows this would not only save flood victims a lot of heartache, but it will also save the public a lot of money in the longer-term.”

Sam Al-Hamdani, shadow cabinet for housing and homelessness

Shaw Councillor Chris Gloster, who is backing his colleague, added: “We are also asking the Council to make local residents living in flood-risk areas aware of the services offered to property owners by the campaigning group ‘Know Your Flood Risk’. The group produces several useful booklets identifying the risks and the actions people can take in advance of a flood and offers property owners individual flood risk assessments.”

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