Letton Flood Hub

Dear Neighbour,

Since the flooding that affected your house in February 2021 there has been discussion amongst local residents to see what steps can be taken to both lessen the impact of such future episodes, and to help in the immediate aftermath.

There is some information we would like from you to help us, if you are happy to give it. But first a brief note on some actions that have been taken, and that you can take.

Discussions have taken place with our County Councillor, Graham Jones, resulting in some actions including road improvements on the corner of the A438/Kinnersley Lane. We hope to achieve more. We have also been in contact with our parish council and hope that they will work with those of Staunton-on-Wye and Bredwardine.

We have created a list of those who are happy to offer immediate emergency housing for a few days, and will share this with you in due course.

We also aim to produce a list of local builders, electricians and plumbers who might be in a position to offer immediate help.

In terms of insurance it is important that you have a policy that is backed by the government to ensure you have full cover in the event of flooding. For a list of those participating insurers go to: www.floodre.co.uk. The precise terms differ between companies, and it is important to be sure you have sufficient cover for any temporary housing should you need to leave your home for a period as a result of the flooding.

If having any work carried out to your home, it is useful to see what can be done at the same time to reduce the risk of damage from flooding. The obvious example is to take any opportunity to raise sockets and other electrical fittings above the level of any likely flood.

After the floods of February 2021, the Jarvis Charity, which has a special remit to work for the benefit of residents of Letton, Staunton-on-Wye and Bredwardine, gave £500 to everyone whose house had been flooded, regardless of the extent of flooding, people’s income, and whether they were insured or not. They felt it was important to offer immediate assistance given the severity of the floods as there would always be unforeseen costs or items not covered by insurance.

We are now seeking to establish a link with the charity that could provide limited but targeted help that would be immediately available should the worst happen again, and to help us in this we would appreciate it if you could supply us with the following information. (You can give it to us over the phone, send an email or put a note in the post; all the contact details are given at the top of this letter):

1. If you made an insurance claim after the February 2021 flooding, how long did it take to settle the claim?

2. Would you recommend the insurer you used, and if so, can you let us have their name?

3. Can you list any items that the insurance didn’t cover for which financial assistance would have been useful?

4. Would the provision of a communal skip or skips have been useful in the immediate clear up?

5. Would the offer of an immediate interest free loan have been helpful, and if so roughly what amount would you have requested?

6. Would help in accessing industrial dryers and/or pumps have been helpful?

7. Would any other offer of help have been useful?

If you could provide this information within a few days of receipt of this letter, that would be much appreciated,

Yours sincerely,

Derys/Anita

Anita Johnson

lettonfloodgroup@gmail.com

Derys Maddox