AN EXTRA £50,000 is to be made available to help people affected by floods in Gloucestershire.

At this morning’s meeting of Gloucestershire County Council’s Conservative-controlled cabinet, members voted unanimously to make the funds available for victims of the past week’s floods.

The money will be administered by the Gloucestershire Community Foundation (GCF), which will distribute the money to those who need it.

Those most in need will be able to receive emergency relief grants – a flat rate payment of £250, while more grants will be offered in the coming weeks.

The pledge follows GCC’s recent commitment to allocate £1.086m of its £1.99m underspend to the six district councils in the county for flood alleviation works.

Council leader Cllr Mark Hawthorne (Con, Moreland) said the past week’s floods could have been a lot worse had the council not invested around £20m on flood alleviation works since 2007.

“Unfortunately around 50 properties in the county have flooded in the last few days, but the Environment Agency estimate this could have been 500 properties without the investment in flood alleviation,” he said.

“GCC wants to continue taking a lead in protecting people’s homes from flooding – that’s why I am proposing an extra recommendation to commit up to £50,000 to help people in the community respond to issues relating to flooding in their properties.

“This is reinforcing our ongoing commitment to flood alleviation and supporting flood victims since 2007.”

GCF would particularly like to hear from charities and organisations helping people have been affected by the flooding, or who have been affected themselves.

Details on how residents who may be eligible for support can apply to the GCF for a grant will be announced in the next few days.

GCF can be contacted through gloucestershirecommunityfoundation.co.uk/