North Yorkshire Council has stepped in to help businesses affected by last summer’s wildfires after the government ruled they would not qualify for compensation.
Grants of up to £2,500 are being made available to businesses that qualify, with the prospect of an additional hardship support payment of up to £12,000.
The money is to provide financial support for businesses, which had to be evacuated during the blaze on Fylingdales Moor, the biggest wildfire in the region’s history.
Confirmed as having been started in Langdale Forest by a cooking or campfire, it spread to ten square miles of moorland and was perilously close to spreading towards rural villages and businesses – one of which was Grouse Hill Caravan Park, off the A171 Whitby to Scarborough road.
Owners Andrew and Caroline Butterfield have long since fought for the financial impact on businesses to be recognised as they had to evacuate and close their caravan site, with future bookings being cancelled.
Along with their two children, William, aged 18, and 16-year-old Amelia they had to flee the site with their pets and leave everything else behind.
Mr Butterfield said: “The funding that the council has provided is extremely welcome, and it is giving us much-needed financial support as the effects of the wildfire are still very much evident a year on.
“Everyone who was affected by the fire has in the back of their minds that this could happen again, especially when we experience the extremely warm weather conditions we have seen this summer.”
Mrs Butterfield added: “The fire had such a devastating environmental impact on the moors, but it is also the psychological effects it’s had on the communities here. The council has shown it is committed to helping the communities that were affected, and that makes a big difference knowing the support is there.”
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has made the financial pledges and is working with the Two Ridings Community Foundation to provide a one-off and targeted offer to local businesses directly affected by the wildfire in light of the government ruling.
NYC leader, Coun Carl Les, said the funding was unprecedented but warned the authority can’t help every time, calling on better government support.
He said: “We are committed to supporting our communities, but I cannot stress enough that this funding has been made available due to unprecedented circumstances surrounding the Fylingdales Moor blaze.
“As a council, we will not be able to repeatedly step in to provide financial support in the future at a time when our budgets are under intense pressure and demand for our services is increasing.
“The Government needs to look very closely at how it can support communities and businesses affected by natural disasters across the country.
“There is a compelling argument that national policies do need to be reviewed as the sad but undeniable truth is that the Fylingdales Moor fire will prove not to be a one-off.”
The council has lobbied the Government to try to secure compensation for businesses affected by the wildfire to mirror the support that is available following flooding events.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is providing £3.2m to the North York Moors National Park Authority to help to restore the moorlands which were the scene of the wildfire last summer.
However, Ministers have confirmed that there will not be any financial support available to businesses affected.
Coun Les said: “We are disappointed that the Government hasn’t extended financial support to businesses after we had asked for compensation from Westminster to support those people and enterprises affected.
“We are continuing to offer to work with the Government to draw on our own experiences in North Yorkshire to help to develop a plan for dealing with the aftermath of disasters such as the Fylingdales Moor fire.
“I would ask that Ministers carefully consider the way forward, and make sure that there is a clear and defined path to help to support any communities or businesses that will be so gravely affected by natural disasters in the future.”
