Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has admitted there is no science behind a threshold that determines whether councils receive cash to cope with flooding.
Under existing criteria, the Government only provides property grants for flood resilience to council tax billing authorities where at least 25 properties have suffered damage.
Robert Jenrick in happier times
Mr Jenrick is understood to be resisting councils’ appeals for more flexibility over funding for flood recovery, including looking again at the ‘unfair’ criteria.
Asked about the 25 threshold, a source close to Mr Jenrick said: ‘There isn’t a science behind it. We have to set a threshold somewhere.
'Mr Jenrick thinks 25 is quite a low bar.
‘Central government is here to support when flood events are really serious but it is a core responsibility of councils to look after households and businesses that are impacted by floods.
‘There are no councils in the country as far as Mr Jenrick is aware that couldn’t afford to look after households and businesses where fewer than 25 properties have suffered damage.’
This story first appeared on themj.co.uk.
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