Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

Flooding Welfare Support

The aftermath of a flood can be difficult and sometimes overwhelming especially if your home has been impacted by significant damage.

For more information download the Flood Welfare Support leaflet here: FLOOD SUPPORT LEAFLET

Flood Recovery Advice

As water starts to subside over the next couple of days, we are reminding residents and businesses to follow the guidance before commencing clear up operations:

• Householders need to report flooding incident within 7 days for the Emergency Payment Scheme – contact Environmental Health on 0300 0300 900 or email
• Contact your property insurance for assessment & approval to commence clean-up
• Only enter the property when it is safe to do so and water has subsided
• Take photos of the damage
• Wear protective clothing
• An electrician should check electrical appliances and a Gas Safe-registered engineer should check gas supply
• Sandbag & free Bulky Waste services will be deployed to affected areas following Environmental Health inspections.

For more info on post-flood clearing, please click here: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/after-flood-clearing

£7,500 Flood Emergency Business Financial Support Grant

A grant for occupiers of flooded businesses to assist with immediate response and clean-up costs has been set up. Subject to meeting the criteria below, each business will be eligible for a one-off payment of £7,500.

• To receive payments, businesses are asked to fill in the form which can be accessed via the ‘CLICK HERE’ button below.
• Details must be submitted by all businesses impacted by flooding BEFORE Monday 20 November at 5pm, to receive their payment.
• Please Note: this applies even if a business has previously provided details to Council.
• Cheques will be issued on verification of details provided, and it is expected they will start to be delivered from Wednesday, 15 November
• The £7,500 grant payments are part of the £15m package is to support the wider economic recovery announced this week by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

If an individual owns several businesses that have been flooded, each business can be considered on its own merits. There is a limit of one payment per business. Where multiple business were trading from the same property, it is the individual businesses who can apply, subject to eligibility. If only a proportion of those business in that same property were flooded, only those businesses who were flooded may apply.

Eligibility criteria: 

• The business must have been ordinarily occupied on the date of the flooding incident.
• The business must have been ordinarily trading on the date of the flooding incident and paying the appropriate rates on them.
• The relevant district council has confirmed that the business was flooded.
• The business receiving the payment plans to re-open in due course.
• The business had no insurance to cover flood damage.
• The business must be a SME and trading as such.
• The grant is to support the re-establishment of the business and as such, if they meet the criteria, the payment will be for the business, not necessarily the landlord.
• Public sector properties are excluded.

Community Advice Line

A confidential Community Advice Line for individuals and families who have been impacted by flooding is now in operation, to provide advice and guidance on support services available during this challenging time.

For more information click here: https://bit.ly/3NqV0BK or call the confidential Community Advice Line on 0330 135 9733.

Flood Recovery Advice for businesses

• Businesses should ensure their insurance provider is contacted who will advise on information required for any claim.
• Only enter the property when it is safe to do so and water has subsided
• Take photos of the damage and keep records/receipts to document any loss

Food Businesses should contact their insurance provider in the first instance or alternatively please contact our Environmental Health team for guidance on the safe disposal of food waste by emailing or call 0300 0300 900.

For more info on post-flood clearing, please click here: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/after-flood-clearing

Land & Property Services (LPS) rate relief available to business premises impacted by the flooding.

Rates Relief Information Sessions
Following the Department of Finance announcement on rate relief measures available to business premises impacted by the recent flooding,  we are hosting information sessions in conjunction with Land & Property Services (LPS)  for businesses impacted in the borough.

Rates Relief Information Sessions
Location: Portadown Townhall
Date: Thursday, 16 November
Time: 10am to 12pm & 1pm to 3pm.

Our staff and representatives from Land & Property Services (LPS) will be available to provide one-to-one support and advice to those in attendance.

Rate relief measures will include 100% relief for non-domestic rates on flooded properties as well as support to help businesses temporarily relocate. Further information can be found on the nibusinessinfo website at: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/emergencyraterelief.

Rates Relief for flooded premises

Businesses will receive 100% relief from non-domestic rates on flooded properties for the period between 1 November 2023 and 31 March 2024 if:

• The relevant district council has confirmed that the property was flooded; and
• The property was valued for non-domestic rates on the rating system on the date of the flooding incident; and
• Either, the business was trading from the flooded property and liable for non-domestic rates on the date of the flooding incident;
• Or the property was listed as vacant with LPS and the owner was liable for vacant rates on the date of the flooding incident.

Ratepayers do not have to make an application for the relief.  The local Council will provide LPS with a list of flooded properties in their area and LPS will automatically apply the relief to the rate account.  Ratepayers who have already paid their rates for the current year in full will receive a refund.

Public sector properties are excluded from the emergency rate relief.

Rate Relief on temporary business premises occupied by flooded businesses

100% rate relief will be available up to 31 March 2024 for alternative business premises temporarily occupied by businesses that had been operating from properties that were flooded. This relief is only available when the business relocates to a property that was recorded as vacant on the rating system on the date of the flooding incident.

This will be administered by LPS.  Ratepayers can contact LPS on 0300 200 7801 or email to request this relief.

Out of hours support

Out of hours contact is available via the monitored email addresses below:

• Business support:
• Community support and advice:
• Environmental Health support and advice:

Business and Domestic Support

A rate relief scheme for businesses (non-domestic & commercial) and domestic properties affected by flooding has been introduced.

Land & Property Services (LPS) can consider the circumstances of properties impacted by flooding on a case-by-case basis.

For Non-Domestic properties relief may be available through Valuation processes, for Domestic properties, an exclusion may be available through rating of empty homes legislation.