Aegaea are pleased to announce that we have been listed by Leicestershire County Council as an appropriately qualified and experienced surveyor to carry out property flood surveys to assist homeowners affected by Storms Babet and Henk in October 2023 and January 2024, respectively.

It is estimated by Leicestershire County Council that over 500 properties in the County were affected across these two storms.

Leicestershire County Council are administering a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) property flood resilience (PFR) repair grant for local residents affected by Storms Babet and Henk. The grant scheme offers up to £5,000 for the works.

There are several steps to applying for the grant; one of which being a property survey. This survey is to identify the source(s) of flooding in Storms Babet and/or Henk, and identify how the homeowner could protect the property to limit the potential for water ingress or similar events recurring, or improve the flood resilience/ recoverability of the properties, if water could still enter the property.

To inform the survey and allow for discussions of potential measures, before carrying out a site visit our consultant will carry out a review of available third party information such as modelled flood level data from the Environment Agency (EA), British Geological Survey (BGS), Local Planning Authority (LPA) and Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). We recommend this work prior to the site visit so that the surveyor is well informed of the potential flood risks before setting foot on site.

During the survey, a member of our team will attend the property and discuss the previous flooding incidents with you to understand where water was first observed, how it flowed through the site, into the property, and how long the flooding lasted. We will them discuss the potential risks, historic flooding, and initial recommendations with you. 

It is important to discuss initial recommendations so that you as the site owner can detail your priorities in relation to your budget. We are aware that some parties may not be able to invest any additional fundings above the £5,000 offered by the grant. As such, during our site visit we will discuss your budgetary constraints, desired standard of protection, and initial recommendations, to make sure the measures we recommend are in line with what can be reasonably achieved at your property. For example your preference may be to try and keep the water out – a water exclusion strategy – rather than focusing on letting the water in and improving recoverability – a water entry strategy. Each option will have associated costs and therefore it is essential a surveyor understands the client’s preference and budget in addition to their own professional recommendations. 

Following the site visit we will write up our findings in a concise report that details the potential flood risk from all sources, and summarises the recommendations discussed with the owner on site. This report can then be used by the owner to seek quotes for the recommended measures.

Under the grant scheme, £800 (inclusive of VAT) of the £5,000 is available for the surveys. Please get in touch with the team to discuss your requirements and obtain a free quote for the survey.

If you are applying for funding under the grant in Leicestershire, and are aware of local neighbours who may also be considering the same, we encourage you to reach out to us together as there may be some cost savings for both parties, if the property surveys can be carried out consecutively. 

Under the requirements of the grant, the property survey needs to be carried out in accordance with the Code of Practice for Property Flood Resilience (BS851188).

All of our surveyors have completed this foundation training administered by The Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM). Aegaea are also listed on the Suffolk County Council website to carry out surveys for local residents seeking funding under the scheme in this area. 

Please get in touch with the team today to discuss your requirements and obtain a free quote for the survey.