Storm Henk: Business owner tells of despair and devastation after being hit by flooding

A man whose small business was badly hit by Storm Henk has been told he cannot receive compensation because he received a grant following Storm Babet.

Paul Edwards, from Stourport-on-Severn, said he was told that compensation following flooding for small businesses cannot be received within six months of previous compensation.

Mr Edwards received compensation in October 2023 following Storm Babet, and it is for this reason that he cannot receive compensation following Storm Henk because it is within six months of the last grant.

He said: "One of my small businesses is a holiday let apartment.

"After flooding last week, the council said to me we don't qualify for compensation because we only get compensation once every six months.

"I was led to believe that we were going to qualify again for another £2,500 to get us back up and running but the government have said you can only get that once every six months."

Many homes and businesses are counting the costs left from Storm Henk.

Mr Edwards is shocked by the lack of help from the local council and the government. He said flooding in the future would put a huge strain on businesses like his.

Malvern District Council said: "We haven’t received the final guidelines from the Government regarding grant support for Storm Henk yet.

"Therefore, we cannot formerly comment."

The government said the Business Recovery Grant is not the only support available from government, eligible impacted businesses will also benefit from Business Rates relief.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…