Defra extends flood grants scheme to cover County Durham

The government has extended its farming recovery fund to allow flood-hit farmers in County Durham to apply for grants.

Defra has accepted that farmers in the county whose businesses have been affected by the recent floods should be given equal opportunities to apply for grants of up to £20,000.

The department changed its mind after Farmers Weekly highlighted the case of a farmer whose business was badly hit in the floods, but was told initially by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) that he could not apply for funding.

Brett Forrest

See also: No money for Durham farmers, Defra tells flood victim

County Durham-based farmer Brett Forrest said his farm was flooded on three separate occasions in December.

Fields at Stanners Farm, in Page Bank, near Spennymoor, were left swamped under 5ft of floodwater on two occasions.

Mr Forrest lost 130 big round bales of haylage – worth about £3,250 – after the River Wear burst its banks and deluged his farm on Boxing Day.

And his herd of pedigree Saler suckler cows knocked down part of a block brick wall after the animals panicked and fled a hayshed as floodwater poured into the building.

Mr Forrest, who has not received his single farm payment, said he was unable to get on to large parts of his wheat fields and grassland to survey the damage because water levels were still too high.

Photo by Joanne Forrest

But when he rang Defra’s rural services helpline to see if he was eligible to receive a grant, he was stunned to be told: “There’s no money for the Durham farmer.”

Defra guidance stated only farmers affected by the floods and based in Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire were eligible to apply for grants.

Mr Forrest rang Farmers Weekly and explained his plight and we took up his case with Defra.

After we ran the story online on Fwi.co.uk on Thursday, Defra contacted us to explain ministers had reviewed the criteria of the fund and decided to extend it to cover flood-hit farms in County Durham.

See also: Farm floods – guide to practical and financial support

A delighted Mr Forrest said: “It’s excellent news. It is what we set out to do in the first place, to get them to recognise farms in County Durham have been flooded out too.”

He added: “It is Farmers Weekly that did it. We have named and shamed Defra.

“Any farmers who feel they are being treated badly by the authorities should get in touch with Farmers Weekly.”

His wife Joanne Forrest, who supplied pictures of the flood-hit farm, said: “I’m overwhelmed that they [Defra] have taken notice of us at last.

“It’s a victory for farmers in County Durham and I would urge other farmers with similar cases to ours to apply for a grant.

“But it should never have come to this, given that the city of Durham was left under water by the floods.”

A Defra spokeswoman said: “We have always said we will pay out on all eligible applications. In the immediate aftermath of storms Desmond and Eva we rolled out the fund to those areas most affected by flooding. 

“We have since been made aware of flood damage on a small number of farms in Durham and have extended the fund to cover this county.”