The Environment Agency and Salford Council are holding a joint drop-in session next Thursday, 25th February, from 5pm to 8pm, at River View Primary School where they will attempt to answer any questions about the Boxing Day flood and its fall out.
Flood victims can ask anything, from the reasons why no warnings were given, to queries about grants and the Salford Distress Fund.
Salford City Council has made up to £1million available to local residents who weren't insured, to help replace essential items lost in the flood, up to a limit of £2,500 per household; but communication about this just doesn't seem to be reaching certain people in the community.
Today, the Salford Star visited a couple with a baby in Lower Broughton who knew nothing about this fund. They were sitting on a couch that was still contaminated from flood water.
Meanwhile, others who we spoke to were slightly upset that Salford Council was using the Argos catalogue to value their goods. Debbie Prince put a claim into the fund for all of her big kitchen items, which she received. But when it came to her settee, which cost £700, she was told there was a £250 ceiling on the price...
"When I asked how they came to these prices she did state it was from the Argos catalogue" says Debbie "But I explained my settee wasn't from Argos; if I wanted to buy crap I would have gone there in the first place."
She was also told that the fund wasn't paying like-for-like, that it was to help people get back on their feet, and only essential items could be claimed for...
"My sideboard was classed as non-essential and so was my lawn mower and strimmer" Debbie says "But if I don't replace the mower and my garden grows like a jungle I'm going to be getting letters asking me to sort it out. What am I supposed to do, use scizzors or hire a goat?
"Anything not classed as essential they are classing as a luxury" she adds "There were lots of personal items for which I didn't claim. I've not got a pan left, all the day wear shoes went...there were lots I didn't claim for but where do they think I'm going to get a new settee from for £250?"
Perhaps Salford Council could answer this at the drop-in. Meanwhile there's lots that Debbie wants to ask the Environment Agency...
"I'm going to ask them why there was no warning" she says "I hold them responsible for items that were lost but could have been saved if I'd had a warning. I was on the flood alert list but got no warning. My neighbour phoned the Environment Agency and by the time he got through, past all the `press one, press two' commands, he said `Hello' and then had to hang up as the water was already coming in his house. He got £560 from Salford Council's Distress Fund."
Flood Recovery Drop-in
With Salford Council and the Environment Agency
Thursday 25th February 5pm-8pm
River View Primary School
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