The Government has announced an extension of a grant for severely flood hit families to pay for flood defense measures for their home.

The Repair and Renew grant, put in place after the severe flooding in December across the UK, will now be eligible for anyone whose home was flooded between April 2013 and April 2014 and will be worth up to £5,000 per household.

Groups of effected residents can also pool their money together for local defences to protect their street or area.

Although not as severe as the flooding experienced by Castle Point residents on 30th July this year, on 24th August 2013 between 60-100 homes were flooded in Canvey, Benfleet, Thundersley and Hadleigh in what was described by the environment agency as a 1 in 35 year rainfall event. The flooding on the 30th July is listed as a one 1 in 300 year rainfall event.

The Government also announced that council tax and business rate relief would be available for the period residents were flooded out of their home in that year.

Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris who has been lobbying the treasury for an extension of the grant is pleased at the news but says she will keep on lobbying the Government to extend the grant further:

"I have spent a lot of time lobbying the Government on this and it is very welcome that the residents most at risk for flooding in our borough will now be able to get a grant direct from the Government to protect their homes. It will give a lot of peace of mind to those families whose homes are most vulnerable.

"This is definitely a step in the right direction and I am very grateful to the Government for listening to me on this, but I want all those affected by the July floods to be made eligible as well. I will keep on lobbying the Government hard for the grant to be extended further for my residents and for further investment in our local flooding defences.”

Canvey Island resident Barbara Johnson, whose house flooded last year and several times this year said:

“This news is such a boost to many beleagured residents, including myself, on Canvey Island, who live in constant fear and anxiety every time it rains.

It has been on my mind constantly what I could do to try and flood-proof my home and  to try and safeguard my sanity as well as my insurance excess.  But the money to do what I would want to do  is just not there.  I am absolutely thrilled that financial help is at hand.  This will make a massive difference to me if I can make my house a secure home once again.

“Rebecca has been relentless in her pursuit of the powers that be to get justice for her constituents and has, and is still, working tirelessly behind the scenes to safeguard our Island community.  She really is an outstanding MP, always accessible which is so important and I, for one, cannot thank her enough for all her efforts. I think her commitment to her constituents on flooding has been exemplary.”

Thundersley resident Neal Warren, whose house in Rayleigh Road was first flooded last August  and who frequently goes out clearing local drains for neighbours when it rains flooded said:

“This will make a real difference to me and my family and all the other residents that were flooded out of their homes last year In Hadleigh and Thundersley. Rebecca has fought hard on this as well as taking the flooding agencies to task so I can’t thank her enough. I can’t wait to feel the relief of being able to be out of my house when it rains and not be worried about coming home to a flooded house.”