Investigation into flooding in Lincolnshire caused by Storm Babet will take months

Lincolnshire County Council has confirmed it is carrying out 170 investigations into flooding during Storm Babet which affected properties in Lincoln, and surrounding areas.

Almost 700 homes across Lincolnshire were affected by the heavy rain and flooding, which saw more than a month of rain fall in just 24 hours.

Lincolnshire County Council approved £4m funding earlier this month to carry out the investigations and implement any recommendations.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire County Council said: “We will be carrying out a ‘Section 19’ flooding investigation in relation to flooding in Langworth during Storm Babet.

“This will look into the causes of flooding in the village and will involve evidence from local residents themselves as well as all relevant authorities.”

Meanwhile, district councils in Lincolnshire, under the Government’s Flood Recovery Framework, are offering Community Recovery Grants of £500 for eligible primary residences.

This grant is for primary residences that were internally flooded due to Storm Babet or deemed unliveable for a time. However, second homes and empty homes are excluded.

Additionally, households forced to vacate their primary residences due to unlivability can apply for a 100 per cent Council Tax discount for at least three months. Businesses with flooded premises may also be eligible for 100 per cent rate relief for a minimum of three months.

For businesses, a £2,500 Business Recovery grant is available for SMEs affected by severe flooding, funded by DLUHC via the Flood Recovery Framework.

Residents and businesses can contact their respective district councils for more information on accessing these grants and reliefs.

Further examples of issues needing investigation include the failure of Horncastle’s £8.1million flood defences which failed to operate on the night, as well as scaffolding on a bridge in Brant Broughton which residents believe stopped water flowing freely after getting clogged up and creating a dam.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​