What is the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) funding scheme?
Apply for a £5,000 grant to help protect your home
The PFR funding scheme has been established by Devon County Council and is open for members of the public to apply to if their home is affected by flooding.
Devon County Council is committed to increasing community resilience in Devon. We aim to help individual property owners be better equipped with
the tools and basic defence measures they need to be able to deal with flood incidents.
Homeowners can apply for up to £5,000 to help make their property more resilient. This sum includes a detailed flood risk assessment survey of the property which will identify the required resilience measures and the purchasing of these recommended measures.
Examples of Products
- Flood doors/gates
- Temporary demountable barriers
- Pumps
- Airbrick covers
- Water Resilient Flooring More information on PFR measures can be found at: BeFloodReady – Property Flood Resilience (PFR) | Helping Reduce Flood Risk
The PFR process
Step 1 – Download Forms
Step 2 – Application Submission
Step 3 – Application Review
Step 4 – Contacted by Surveyor
Step 5 – Survey Report
Step 6 – Obtaining Quotes
Step 7 – Review of Quotes
Step 8 – Chosen Contractor
Step 9 – Raising the Purchase Order
Step 10 – Initial Payment
Step 11 – Installation
Step 12 – Final Payment
Step 13 – Post Installation Survey
For more details see the step by step guidance at: PFR Funding Policy – Flood Risk Management (devon.gov.uk)
Please note that under this funding Devon County Council acts only as a payment body and the contract will be between the property owner and supplier.
Devon County Council’s Commitments under the Scheme
- Provide the property owner with flood resilience equipment, up to an agreed amount.
- To arrange for the installation of the permanent fittings to the property to enable the property owner or the tenant to deploy the protection measures in the event of a severe rainfall forecast or a flood warning.
- DCC will pay the chosen contractor/supplier directly for the agreed works up to the value of the available funding.
Property Owners Responsibilities
- To store any PFR securely and protect them from damage. As well as conducting maintenance and transferring ownership of equipment with the transfer of property ownership.
- To consent a preliminary PFR survey of the property conducted by DCC’s appointed surveyor.
- To obtain 3 quotes for the recommended measures outlined in the preliminary survey.
- To deploy the PFR, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- To allow access to the Property at all reasonable and pre-arranged times for the purposes of installation and inspection.
- To use the allocated funding before the end of the agreed financial year.
- To contribute towards the cost of the works if the value exceeds the available funding
For a full list of responsibilities please see the policy and disclaimer on the Devon County Council Website.
Criteria and Eligibility
There is limited funding, with an allocation to be made available each year by DEFRA, Local Levy and Devon County Council. Applications will therefore be prioritised based on fixed criteria to ensure properties with the greatest need receive the funding.
- You must have been affected by internal flooding or be considered to be at very high risk of flooding
- You must be willing/able to top up the given funding if the quote for PFR exceeds £5,000 (less survey cost).
- You must be able to provide evidence of the extent of the flooding, such as photographic proof.
- You must not also be applying for PFR funding through another scheme or grant.
- You must be willing to obtain at least three quotes from contractors and seek approval from Devon County Council before installation commences.
Applications are reviewed every three months.
Please note that even if an application meets all the criteria, if there are a high number of applications then it may still be rejected because of the prioritisation of properties with greater flood risk.
The Property Survey
Devon County Council’s appointed surveyor will conduct a property survey, funded through the funding prior to any work taking place. This survey will compile a list of recommended flood resilience measures. The preliminary survey is arranged through the surveyor and takes around an hour to complete.
Obtaining Quotes
Devon County Council cannot recommend any contractors or suppliers for you to contact. We suggest looking at the Blue Pages an independent flood directory which holds a list of contractors.
Useful Contacts and Information
The application form and related policy documents can be found at: Property Flood Resilience Funding Scheme – Flood Risk Management (devon.gov.uk)
For more information contact the Devon County Council Flood Risk Management Team: 0345 1551 015, and ask for ‘Flood Risk’, email: floodrisk@devon.gov.uk
National Flood Forum: 01299 403 055 , info@floodforum.org.uk
https://nationalfloodforum.org.uk/contact/
Blue Pages: www.bluepages.org.uk
Be Flood Ready: BeFloodReady – Property Flood Resilience (PFR) | Helping Reduce Flood Risk