£6m bill for damage to homes

The housing association estimates that the damage caused by the town's worst flooding on record to its properties alone is about £6m.

It has appointed Project and Cost Management Consultancy Faithful+Gould to be in charge of the repair operation and surveys have been carried out across the affected parts of the town over the last two weeks.

Dr Greg French, Disaster Response and Damage Management Consultant from Davis and French Associates, has also been appointed for his expertise in flood recovery projects across the country over the last 20 years.

And contractors Mears and FHM will carry out the stripping and drying work over the coming months. Stripping work is planned to start at houses and bungalows in the High Stanners area next week.

Castle Morpeth Housing Managing Director Tina Drury announced these points at a meeting for flood victims, as well as saying that its position at the time was that nine of the people or families affected, who live in its properties, have been rehoused, 15 are in hotels or B&Bs, 69 are living with family or friends while 55 are still living in their home.

She said: "Once the surveys have been done, we will be in a position to talk about how long tenants will be out of their homes, although some of you will have to consider that you could be away for about six months.

"We want to be as flexible as possible, so when we give you the keys to your alternative properties, you can decide to move there permanently. Alternatively, you can move back when your home has dried out, it's your choice.

"What we are saying to all our residents is that we will do all that we can to provide you with alternative homes and we will repair and dry out those damaged by the floods as quickly as we can."

Further updates will be provided on a regular basis and more meetings will be held in the coming weeks and months.

Anna-Marie Flood, Chairman of the Castle Morpeth Housing Board, explained why the choice of properties was being offered.

"I have spoken to quite a number of our residents and some of them feel so shook up by the flood experience that they aren't sure they want to return to their original homes," she said.

"I can understand why tenants are anxious about the potential time they could be waiting to return, but it's a long haul and the work needs to be done properly otherwise we would be doing them a disservice."

Tenant Joan Baptist, who lived in Challoner's Gardens until the flood, was full of praise for how the housing association responded to the disaster.

She said: "It was brilliant and we can't speak highly enough of it. The day after the floods, two men from Castle Morpeth Housing came down and helped us to get items out and in the days following electricians and gas fitters had a look at our connections."

Next door neighbour Elizabeth McKie added: "I can't wait to move back in.