As Richmondshire District Council co-ordinates recovery in the aftermath of the flood, rural organisations working in collaboration with the Council reiterated their calls for support for farmers and rural communities from the Farming Recovery Fund.
NFU Regional Director Adam Bedford said: “This week part of the Yorkshire Dales experienced some of the most intensive rainfall ever, with some areas receiving up to113mm of rain in just 3 hours.
“The storm’s unprecedented nature has led to widespread damage to farms, homes, businesses and wider rural infrastructure. On farms, livestock and many walls, hedges and fences have been destroyed which has associated impacts on farmland. Many farmers are also reporting the loss of silage and hay bales which were harvested and stored for winter feed.
“Our meeting today was unanimous in the need for immediate and significant central government support to aid the recovery of the farms and villages affected in the Yorkshire Dales.”
Outlining the recovery phase of the weather event, Richmondshire District Council Chief Executive Tony Clark said: “As the lead authority dealing with the aftermath of the flood, we are working in partnership with all agencies on the clean-up and restoration needed.
“The farming and rural communities are banding together, as are support organisations who have met today. We reiterate our call for support from government to help us at this unprecedented time.”
The NFU is also working in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Farmer Network and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in order to assess the extent of the damage and as part of this work.