Families homeless (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Families homeless

8:47am Thursday 11th September 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

Families are still homeless more than a year on from last year's flooding misery.

A total of 16 families still have nowhere permanent to live.

Swindon Council has agreed to extend its 100 per cent council tax discount to those households for another year.

After the flooding in July 2007, 86 households who were not able to return to their properties were granted an exemption from council tax.

Councillors will vote on a proposal to extend this offer for another 12 months at a cabinet meeting this evening.

Haydon Wick resident Julie Jackson is one of those hardest hit by the flooding.

After living in her Blunsdon Road home for 19 years without any flooding problems Julie has been affected six times in the past two years, and is still living in temporary accommodation in South Cerney.

Julie's daughter, Moiyah, has now returned to school in Haydon Wick, adding an onerous school run to Julie's worries.

She said: "I feel sick every time it rains. This weekend was really nerve-wracking and we were very lucky not to get another downpour - which would have meant more flooding.

"If we had a storm like Wales had over the weekend we would have been back in the same situation again.

"The council discount is good but the real problem is getting all the agencies to stop passing the buck.

"I don't feel any more confident than I did two years ago."

The total cost of Swindon giving council tax discounts in 2008/09 has been estimated at £6,000, but that cost could double if none of the 16 properties are repaired before March 31 next year.

The cost of granting the exemptions in 2007/08 was £57,000 and a further £10,000 was granted for the period April 1 to July 20 of this year.

Coun Nick Martin, cabinet member for resources, said the proposed action by the council shows they have sympathy for the plight of those affected by flooding.

He said: "We felt that this was something that was appropriate for us and something we could afford to do.

"The people who have been affected by flooding have had a torrid time and I think we all feel a great deal of sympathy for their plight."