Welfare

- Flood support centres are still running in Keswick, Cockermouth, Workington. These were set up immediately after the floods alongside one in Ulverston by a range of public sector agencies. They offer a range of support and advice to people affected by the floods.

- The drive to find temporary or alternative accommodation for home owners and businesses flooded has been one of the main priorities of the recovery operation. In total, 2,239 homes and businesses were flooded out. At this stage it is impossible to tell how many people have been affected and need direct help as many haven’t contacted the authorities and have instead made their own arrangements either with friends or family or with their own insurers. Others have been rehomed directly through housing associations. In Allerdale, 109 people came forward in need of accommodation but a more real indication of the number of people displaced could be through the number of properties applying for council tax exemption – currently standing at over 300 in Allerdale and still rising. In South Lakeland, eight families were officially made homeless and have now been re-housed. Once again, many more made homeless by the floods are now living with family and friends. South Lakeland District Council’s homeless team and environmental health officers are continuing to carry out home visits in flood-affected areas to identify any vulnerable people to see how the council can assist them in any way.  

- Emergency accommodation was arranged by the district councils’ housing teams. In Allerdale the emergency accommodation included 65 rooms in homes where people had offered to help out, 105 vacant houses/caravans were available, 18 holiday lets, 12 care homes came forward with rooms available and Housing Associations also came forward with re-lets available. 

- Teams of district council building control surveyors worked flat out to assess properties in flood-affected areas and allow people to return to their properties as soon as possible. In Allerdale over 700 properties were visited and inspected for any signs of serious structural failure in Workington, Cockermouth and Keswick. Numerous structural walls, outbuildings and retaining walls were dealt with using emergency contractors and rendered safe. All dangerous structures were identified with laminated signage and taped off.   Approximately 8 informal dangerous structure notices are being served by Allerdale District Council, who are providing the owners with advice and where necessary requesting structural reports. There are currently not thought to be any properties in Cockermouth that cannot be occupied due to their structural condition, but there are 6 properties in Keswick and one in Barepot that cannot at this time be occupied.   This includes domestic and commercial properties.   Hundreds of properties will need restoration work before re-occupation.

- NHS Cumbria has been ensuring that health services have been maintained throughout the disruption. In Cockermouth, two GP practices which serve 15,000 patients (Derwent House and South Street) had their premises damaged by the floods and immediately moved into Cockermouth community hospital. Now more than 20 new temporary two-storey buildings have been moved onto the site and will be open to patients from next week, enabling normal outpatient clinics and other services to begin again at the hospital. In Workington, similar pre-fabricated buildings to house a temporary GP drop-in clinic for patients currently unable to easily access their own GP surgery will arrive next week at Seaton Rugby Club, with patients expected to use the new service before January. There will be two consulting rooms, two treatment rooms and one waiting room. Prior to that, temporary GP clinics were established in Northside and Seaton for residents cut off from Workington. There has also been mental health support for affected people.

- As well as helplines and distribution systems being set up to handle gift donations, a charitable fund and grant aid has been established for affected individuals, families and community organisations suffering hardship through the floods. The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund Appeal 2009 was launched by the Cumbria Community Foundation and currently stands at over £1.3m, with £250,000 worth of payments already made to those in most need of help including emergency repairs, food and drink, clothing and cleaning up. Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit the Cumbria County Council website homepage www.cumbriacc.gov.uk, phone 01900 820 828, or email david@cumbriafoundation.org 

- At Ulverston’s North Lonsdale Road depot which is owned by SLDC, a special room has now been provided for residents which features a washer, dryer, fridge, microwave, kettle, cutlery and toaster.   These facilities have been made available by Impact Furniture Services based at nearby North Lonsdale Road with help from the Red Cross. 

- One measure of the success of the recovery operation is the services that have been managed to be phased out. Allerdale Borough Council’s emergency helpline closed on November 29th after the volumes of calls dropped, but it received 1,393 calls while it was operational from November 19th. South Lakeland District Council received 1,600 calls in a six-day period. Calls taken included requests for sandbags, food, generators, wellies and protective clothing, missing people, finding accommodation, as well as offers of assistance. The closure of the emergency reception centres at Cockermouth, Workington and Keswick was also a landmark.